


Sometimes They Just Work

by l0vesparks007



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Character of Color, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Gay Character, Canon Lesbian Character, Depression, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, I couldn't help myself, I will go down with both of these ships, Lesbian Character of Color, Mental Health Issues, Minor Character Death, Romance, Shameless Smut, TEGALISE RISES, all possible triggers will be labeled, but we hate Asher round these parts sooooooo, captain of the ss tegalise here, co captain of the ss laurela, if you came here for that you might wanna exit stage left, there may be splashes of Connor and ollie cause they be cute, this will probably end up a collection of one shots and drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:48:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25355017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l0vesparks007/pseuds/l0vesparks007
Summary: So this started out as what was supposed to be a collection of one-shots and drabbles about Tegalise and Laurela because I literally can not get them out of my head, instead it just ended up an anthology series of different times in the same universe. Any triggering topics discussed will always be labeled as well as spoilers incase you haven't finished. Please bear with me as I use this to get out my writers block. Reviews are always appreciated :D
Relationships: Annalise Keating/Tegan Price, Laurel Castillo/Michaela Pratt
Comments: 71
Kudos: 88





	1. Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> Annalise swore one day Tegan Price would be the death of her. Practically tripping over her pants and underwear as she stripped to follow her wife into the bathroom. The happiest death, but death nonetheless.
> 
> \----  
> Ok, so one day being dragged in the deep whole of YouTube I came across a lesbian couples "Welcome Home" video of a solider coming home to her wife and it was too cute and thought of Tegalise. Don't ask me why my brain made the connection it did and this mix of what started out as sweet wholesome family fluff turned into a smutty mess so you're welcome I guess LOL. 
> 
> **I have this head canon of Tegan and Annalise being married and Michaela being their daughter instead of... what she turned out to be on the show. So here's my healing over that, not even getting a Tegalise kiss or even Annalise admitting she loves Tegan back when we all knew she did 😭

Annalise _hated_ party and event planning. She had found the task of picking out menus and themes and decorations exasperating and mundane. That’s why she normally left this stuff to her wife, Tegan and her baby sister Celestine. 

The two women were the same age and together had planned her and Tegan’s entire wedding, albeit it relatively small and intimate, in less than a month only nineteen years prior. Annalise maintained that she only wanted to know what time she had to be at the church and what color she had to wear because she only wanted one thing, and that was Tegan and all that came with her. And after the two joked about a possible marriage before Tegan that she had to be worried about, they resolved that this would be Tegan’s job and Annalise would just show up when she was supposed to. 

But here, Annalise found herself, sitting with her mother and sister, celebrating their daughter Michaela’s 16th birthday, minus Tegan. The one she _really_ wanted to celebrate their baby girl’s sweet sixteen with. The occasion was solemn to say the least. Annalise could read it behind Michaela’s big, brown eyes that reminded her of and resembled her wife’s every single day. That while she was surrounded by her closest friends and family, it was her Mother that Michaela missed the most and Annalise couldn’t disagree. Tegan being on deployment in San Antonio, Texas for the United States Navy with this massive case of sexual assault of one of their Soldiers for the last two years, has proven difficult for their family. The loss of Tegan in their family unit was ever present. She spent most of last night consoling Michaela after a tearful phone call with Tegan, breaking the news that she wouldn’t be able to make it home to celebrate her birthday and Michaela was crushed. It didn’t help but pour salt on the wound that she herself was let down at the aspect it would be even longer till she had her wife back in her arms. 

In her observation of her surroundings, Annalise locked eyes on her daughter and her best friend, Laurel Castillo, with Laurel trying her hardest to bring the sparkle back to Michaela’s eyes and obvious, intimate closeness between made her wonder if there possibly was something brewing between the two more than just close friendship when Celestine came from the kitchen with a large purple and teal colored cake emblazoned with Michaela’s name in brilliant, gold lettering and two big candles with the numbers “16”. Lighting the room with candlelight and everyone started to sing “Happy Birthday”. Annalise wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders, face plastered with a partially fake smile that much resembled her daughters as she noticed the young girl with glassy eyes, frantically looking around the room. Annalise could bet on the fact that her daughter was seeking her other Mother’s arms wrapped around her as well much like her past birthdays, aside from last year. 

Watching Michaela take a deep breath and blow out her candles, Annalise couldn’t help but make a small wish of her own that Tegan would make it home soon and safe. The cheering sounded hollow in her ears as cameras flashed. She plastered on another fake smile for the cameras as they shot photos of the Mother and Daughter pair as she noticed her sister moving about the room, snapping photos before stopping at one of Michaela’s friends from school, Oliver Hampton, whispering something in his ear when his face instantly lit up and he pulled his phone out and started recording as signified by the red light flashing on his phone. With Annalise’s curiosity peaked now , she pressed a kiss to her daughter's hair.

“I wish Mami was here.” Michaela mumbled sadly, looking up at her Mother with sad eyes. Annalise smiled sadly at her and wrapped her arms around her in a large hug. 

“Me too, baby. I miss her too.” Annalise agreed sadly, never one to be able to hide her emotions from her daughter, who was more like her than she liked to admit at times. Michaela hugged her mother again tightly. Both of them felt more than anyone their loss of Tegan in a time when they wanted her here more than anything. Michaela cut her birthday cake as Ophelia helped with passing out slices to everyone as Celestine made an announcement that it was time for presents and that her and Ophelia wanted to go first. Michaela, never being one to turn down being spoiled regardless of her mood, smiled brightly and graciously thanked her Aunt and Grandma beforehand. 

Celestine and Ophelia smiled large smiles at the young girl as Celestine started to enthusiastically wave towards the dining room door where everyone was currently congregated at the Price household. “Come on in!” She hollered with a huge smile on her face. The room went silent for a moment in confusion before Annalise heard that familiar voice, warm and low like honey that never failed to make her weak kneed. 

“Feliz Cumpleaños, hijita.” 

Annalise swore her heart dropped to her feet the same time she heard Michaela’s loud gasp, clasping her hands to her mouth and her eyes spilling over with large, fat tears when Tegan, dressed in a form fitting grey hoodie and leggings steps in the dining room wearing a large beautiful smile and sparkling, tired eyes. And although Annalise could tell her wife was exhausted, it didn’t stop her from sweeping their daughter into her arms after the teenager barreled full speed across the room and launched herself into the smaller woman’s arms, wrapping her legs around Tegan’s torso tightly. The room instantly filled with the teenagers' loud, muffled sobs of “Mami!” in Tegan’s neck with the woman pressing teary kisses to her daughters' head. 

“You know I couldn’t miss my Best Girl’s Sweet Sixteen!” Tegan smiled brightly with her own eyes filled with tears, trying her hardest to keep at bay while placing Michaela back on the ground and wiping the young girls tears and smoothing her hair out. 

“Estas preciosa.” Tegan lovingly ran a hand down her daughter's beautiful face before turning her attention to the rest of the room. Her eyes were looking for the pair she was most looking forward to seeing besides her daughters. Finding her wife, standing eerily still with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing in shock and rapidly blinking in disbelief. Tegan chuckled before crossing the room before standing in front of her wife, their height difference even more prominent now. Tegan rolled her eyes playfully when Annalise still didn’t budge once her senses were enveloped in the scent that her mind instantly connected to Tegan and the smaller woman of the two reached up with her left hand to lovingly caress the side of Annalise’s face. Tegan’s wedding ring and matching band glimmered in the afternoon sun that filtered into the room. The cool feeling of the metal against Annalise’s face seemed to ground the taller woman as she inhaled a large breath she wasn’t even aware she was holding. Reaching up to hold the hand to her face a bit longer, relishing in the familiar warmth it gave her. She smiled warmly, her gaze full of love and the look never once failed to make Tegan fall in love all over again. Annalise leaned down, her hand gently moving down the side of her wife’s face to her neck bringing her closer to when the taller woman pressed her lips to Tegan’s deeply in a searing kiss. 

The rest of the world seemed to pause when their lips connected, relishing in the fact that they haven’t been in physical contact in two years. Tegan stepped closer into Annalise, pressing their torsos together as physically and respectfully as possible given their company. The two only vaguely aware of their surroundings when Tegan gripped her wife’s waist possessively when Annalise wrapped her arms around her neck, getting lost in their kiss and forgetting for brief moment where they were before she gently backed away, wiping her lips embarrassed at their display of affection in front of their audience of family. Tegan smiled tearfully as she wiped Annalise’s tears from her face, her heart feeling more full and alive than it has in the last two years. She missed her wife. She missed her daughter. She missed _home_. 

She needed to be back home. This last case broke her in ways she never thought was possible, the only thing that kept her together was the thought of her family. Annalise and Michaela, the axis her world spun on and the sun orbiting it. Pressing a final soft kiss to her wife’s lips she finally spoke, her voice shaking, full of emotion. “Hi baby.” Annalise smiled warmly, staring into her wife’s eyes deeply. The warm brown she’s found home in, enveloping her and the older woman felt her heart and body finally release the tension she was holding in her upper neck. 

“You made it home.” Annalise finally croaked out, grasping Tegan’s hands like if she didn’t she would vanish before her eyes and wrapping her in another hug. 

“Surprise!” Celestine and Ophelia stated smiling brightly with teary eyes themselves before each of them wrapping Tegan in a bear hug themselves. Michaela found her way back over to her mothers and wrapped the both of them in a hug, the happiest she’s been in a while. Celestine smiled brightly, pulling her phone out. “Say Cheese Birthday Girl!” 

  


“Mami, I made your smothered shrimp and chicken and it tastes just like yours!” Michaela beamed, proudly exclaiming once Celestine snapped the photo, showing Annalise and Tegan before sending it to each of them. The rest of the room nodded in agreement, most of them familiar with Tegan’s cooking already. Tegan mocked a hurt look, a playful look of skepticism placed on her face.

“Mierda.” ("Bullshit.") Tegan cursed, causing Annalise, Michaela and Laurel to snicker in response. “You know you ain’t figure out my secret ingredient.” 

“I don’t know, Tea.” Annalise countered, coming to her daughter's defense. “I’ve been eating your smothered chicken for over twenty years and I can’t tell the difference.” Michaela flashed her mother a bright smile, in appreciation for the back up, as if she needed it. Michaela’s chicken _did_ taste just like Tegan’s. 

The co-sign from her wife made her left eyebrow shoot to the sky now. “Wow, it’s like _that_ Anna?” Placing a hand over her heart in mock betrayal causing the two to crack up. Tegan turned her sights to her babygirl, who wasn’t really her _baby_ girl anymore. 

“Well, we’ll just have to see about that won’t we.” Tegan smiled before offering Michaela her arm and followed her into the kitchen. Annalise’s heart melted and her eyes filled again with happy tears, spilling over her cheeks watching their retreating forms and wiping her eyes. Annalise couldn’t deny she was more than elated that her wife was home and safe and here to celebrate their daughter’s birthday. She smiled warmly to herself when she realized that more than likely that she and her daughter both got their wishes of Tegan being home with them. Putting herself back together for a moment she turned her sights on her mother and sister, both of them teary eyed at the reunion and the pure look of serenity that enveloped Annalise when Tegan was near her. 

“Mama? ‘Stine? Ya’ll knew about this?” Annalise wrapped them both in tight bear hugs. “Thank you.” Annalise started, nodding her appreciation to them both. Her voice thick with emotion, “Ya’ll have any idea how special you just made this for her?” 

“Oh hush, Anna Mae.” Celestine smiled big and bright, patting her big sister's hand comfortingly. 

“Please Anna Mae.” Ophelia waved her eldest daughter’s gratitude away. “You missed her and my gran’baby missed her too. She deserves to have _both_ her mamas here.” She rubbed her daughters back comfortingly. “Aint nothin sweet about a sweet sixteen without the both of ya’.” She humphed.

Annalise smiled warmly at her Mother. They had come a long way, more specifically Ophelia had. To say the now eighty-nine year old was completely supportive of Annalise’s bisexuality at first would be an understatement. When she had first introduced her Mother and sister to her first girlfriend, Eve Rothlo, her sophomore year of undergrad at Harvard, Ophelia was politely resistant to say the least. It wasn’t until about four years later during her 2LE year at Stanford’s Law Program, going part time and assistant teaching the accelerated Law Programs 2L students when she met Tegan Price, teaching the younger girl’s Ethics class. 

Annalise Harkness, at the time, had just turned 25 and it wasn’t much longer after that when Ophelia had finally opened up. Introducing Tegan to the family had gone over much better than Eve did that holiday season. Ophelia was instantly impressed with the then 22 year old Tegan, who had graduated high school at age 16 as valedictorian, finished her undergrad magna cum laude by 20 at Stanford and had just recently graduated from Stanford's program and working at the District Attorney's office under the ADA. Ophelia was enamored with the young girl's genius and ambition, much like Annalise was, and the two were thick as thieves ever since. 

The feelings only intensified when Tegan came to Ophelia and Celestine minus Annalise only three years later, promising to love her daughter until her last dying breath and asking for her hand in marriage. Ophelia, being the southern traditionalist that she is, despite the fact it was a _woman_ asking for her daughter’s hand, was enthralled Tegan had asked for permission first and enthusiastically gave them her blessing. A few few years after that, the two surprised them with the news that Tegan was pregnant with Michaela after their first attempt and Ophelia has never looked back. More than pleased she finally had a grandbaby to spoil rotten. Annalise smiled at her mother and sister again before following behind her wife and daughter into the kitchen, walking in on them fully enveloped in a conversation in Spanish hovered over by the tin pans partially full of the chicken and shrimp Michaela made the day before. Annalise _should_ be ashamed that even after 23 years together and their _own_ daughter also being able to speak Spanish and English fluidly and with ease. She would be able to speak and understand more than just a few bits and pieces at a time. 

“¡Lo hiciste!” (“You did it!”) Tegan looks at her daughter with wide eyes and a mouth full of food. 

“¡Te lo dije!” (“I told you!”) Michaela cackled, eyes sparkling in the kitchen lights. “Su sal condimentada y salsa picante” (“It’s seasoning salt and hot sauce.”) Michaela whispered low enough for only her Tegan to hear and winked and Tegan’s eyes widened in shock, making Michaela throw back her head in laughter again, and warming Annalise’s heart in the process. _Getting married and having a kid made you soft, Price._ Annalise thought to herself. Tegan turned in her direction before the taller woman could even announce her presence, like Tegan just had a sense that she was near and reacted before she could even act. 

“Wh-” Tegan looked between the two in before laughing loudly. 

“I told you! I sat through every single incarnation of that recipe till she finally figured it out. Still won’t tell me, but that’s fine I guess. I mean if anyone would know what it tastes like it's me, but I’m just the test dummy.” The taller woman smiled playfully when Tegan turned to their daughter, clearly impressed she didn’t spill the secret and high fiving her in solidarity. Annalise scoffed at the two, “See? It was only a matter of time. Your mother’s not home for even two hours and ya already gangin up on me.” 

Tegan raised a signature eyebrow at her wife, rolling her eyes. “Well if ya’ll figured out all my secrets, then what am I here for?” She playfully hip checked Michaela. “I should go back to Texas.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Annalise warned playfully when Tegan flashed her that smile that lit her soul aflame all those years ago and for what felt like the umpteenth time in their relationship. She had another tiny reminder that she chose correctly in a life partner and the mother to her child. 

~~~~~~~~

Tegan smiled as she ran a bath, filling their large marble tub with almond and shea butter scented bubble bath and lighting the candles strategically placed around the tub. Annalise had all but demanded that she go up stairs while she finished cleaning the kitchen after everyone left for the night. Michaela and Laurel in her daughters bedroom for the night, Tegan planned to make do with the distraction and spend the night doing what she had dreamed of every night for the last two years; alternating between making passionate love to her wife and fucking her so throughly she wouldn’t be able to walk the next day. Walking out of their private bathroom adjoined to her bedroom the low level lighting in the ceiling only adding to the ambiance of the room, Tegan took the time to grab her phone and start her R&B playlist playing on the speaker in their bathroom. She took one last look in the mirror before going to find her wife. 

Her dark brown hair intrinsically braided down her back, the black lace lingerie one piece bodysuit she bought specifically for this night that left very little to the imagination and accentuates her ass just right. She looks in her jewelry box to find her diamond stud earrings, a push gift from Annalise after the birth of Michaela and her wedding ring was the only jewelry she wanted to wear. Grabbing her red silk robe she wraps it around herself before making her way downstairs. On her way she walks past her daughter's room and hears the two girls giggling and speaking lowly, Tegan instantly realizes that they were speaking Spanish and rolls her eyes at the two. She was going to continue her way downstairs before she picked up on the latter part of the two teenage girls conversation. 

“Espero que no sean ruidosos. No quiero escucharlos.” (“I hope they aren’t loud. I don’t wanna hear them.”) Tegan heard Michaela state and her cheeks instantly flushed bright red in embarrassment for a moment before muffling her laughter behind her hand when she heard Laurel start laughing loudly muffled by a pillow. 

“Eso sería un poco vergonzoso.” (“That would be kind of embarrassing.”) Laurel agreed, still laughing when she heard a soft thump and Laurel this time laughed out loud. Michaela shushed her harshly and Tegan took the time to make her presence known nonchalantly as she walked past her the girls bedroom door. 

“Hija, recuerda que ya no eres la única que habla español en las casa.” (“Remember you're not the only one in the house who speaks spanish anymore.”) Tegan sing-songed and had to stifle her own laughter when the giggling between the two girls instantly ceased. 

“Lo siento Mami.” (“Sorry, mommy.”) Michaela called out sheepishly and Tegan laughed to herself all the way down the stairs. She reminded her so much of Annalise, she could only love her more for it. 

~~~~

Tegan made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, still chuckling to herself when she found Annalise in the kitchen putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turning it on. Tegan watched with burning eyes as she stood erect and rolled her shoulders, groaning at the small pops her joints made once stretched. 

Tegan took the opportunity to saunter her way into the kitchen, propping her head up against her fist with her elbow resting on the doorframe with her right arm and resting her left on her hip and using her elbow to hold open her robe, giving Annalise the most gracious view of how very little the bodysuit actually covered and cleared her throat suggestively. 

“You gonna stay down here all night or should I go get started myself?” Tegan gave her signature smolder and enjoyed watching her wife jump before realizing what exactly was behind her. Annalise’s eyes darkened instantly and shot Tegan a look that went straight to her core. Her wife was across the room and in front of her before she could blink. Her hands sliding into her robe and down her sides, _everywhere_. Leaving trails of licking flames in their wake, Annalise sighed and pressed wet kisses down the side of Tegan’s neck, gently biting and soothing the marks with her tongue the way she knew Tegan liked. This song and dance was not new to either of them at this point and embarrassingly Tegan whimpered pitifully when Annalise latched her lips below her pulse point and sucked. Instantly, changing that whimper into a moan from the back of her throat when Annalise hiked her leg up around her waist, the action causing the lace to graze her already wet and swollen flesh just enough to send the younger Latina mewling into the taller woman’s ear. 

The smell of her wife’s arousal hit Annalise like a truck and swallowed her whole the second she lifted her leg around her and couldn’t keep her hands to herself. Each of them having a mind of their own. Her right, traveling north, up her sides to her full breasts, gently kneading them before traveling further north and wrapping around Tegan’s neck pulling her into a bruising series of kisses that left both their lips raw and swollen. Her left, then traveling south not even needing to look to know exactly her hand’s destination. Annalise pressed her thumb directly to Tegan’s clit and felt pleasure rush to her center to feel how wet and ready she already was, coating the insides of her thighs and completely saturating the thin piece of fabric that served as the only layer between them. 

“Ugh, fuck.” Tegan gasped breathily as her head lulled back and hit the door frame with a soft _thud_ the second Annalise touched her where she needed her, eyes going hazy with pleasure and it got more difficult to form words as Annalise continued drawing lazy circles around her clit. Keeping Tegan directly at the edge but never enough pressure to send her over the edge, driving her insane. The darker skinned woman responded by capturing her lips in another heated kiss to muffle her moans when she put a little more effort in the circles she was making against her wife. Ever so often interchanging with swipes across her stiff pearl, needy and waiting and already poking out of its hood and making Tegan’s eyes roll back into her head with a heady moan. 

“Anna,” Tegan tried to pant out between groans as Annalise continued to attack her neck, surely leaving marks in her wake. “Not here...Mich..” It was hard to focus beyond what Annalise was doing to her, every nerve ending was alive and fire was burning through her veins like wildfire. But the mention of their daughter, brought Annalise to her senses. Removing her hand from between Tegan’s legs and backing away, taking deep breaths trying to control her arousal herself. Her fingers still wet with Tegan’s essence, she couldn’t help herself when she brought them to her mouth. The taste she knows exclusively as her wife danced across her taste buds and she wasted no time grabbing her wife’s hand with her still wet fingers and practically dragging her upstairs to their shared bedroom. 

~~~

Tegan could barely lock the bedroom door before Annalise pounced on her again. Pressing her face against the door, while her hands roamed all over her, gripping and pulling at her ass and stripping her of her robe before landing a sharp slap to Tegan’s ass, causing the shorter woman to yelp before Annalise kneaded the spot she slapped gently with her hand and nipping at her wife’s neck from behind. 

Tegan, not one to continuously be topped, smirked when she felt Annalise wrap her hands around her chest and firmly knead them, rolling her nipples between the lace and her fingertips as Tegan groaned, her head dropping back to rest against Annalise’s chest giving her more access to her pulse point. Her breasts have been a hot spot of hers since having Michaela and Annalise continued to take advantage. Once Tegan was able to muster enough resolve she used all her might to flip them around, pushing the taller woman against the wall now and staring at her with her signature smolder and leaned into Annalise’s ear and whispered, her voice thick with lust. “I think you’re _way_ too overdressed for the occasion.” 

She backed away from Annalise slowly, taking in how Annalise’s eyes scanned over her entire body and taking in the ambiance of the room. The look of hunger in her eyes made her inner walls clench in anticipation and decided to up the ante by turning around and slowly beginning to peel the bodysuit from her body, watching Annalise over her shoulder. And if she wasn’t so turned on she’d be embarrassed at how wet she was, the lingerie clinging to her inner thighs and leaving a trail of arousal from her to the lace. The bodysuit hit the ground with a wet plop and Tegan looked at her wife innocently. “You coming?” before sauntering to the bathroom, adding a little extra sway to her walk knowing Annalise was watching her. 

Annalise swore one day Tegan Price would be the death of her. Practically tripping over her pants and underwear as she stripped to follow her wife into the bathroom. The happiest death, but death nonetheless. 

~~~

Tegan looked in the large mirror in their bathroom, examining the dark marks starting to form at the base of her neck and all across her shoulders when Annalise walked in and their gazes met in the mirror. Sucking in a sharp breath when her line of sight scanned Annalise from head to toe. Her rich dark skin gleaming with undertones of gold in the candle light, wrapping her toned arms and soft curves of her hips in a smooth layer of skin that made her mouth water at the sight. 

Turning around to face her wife, Tegan reached out and pulled Annalise into her for another kiss. This one, all tongue and teeth as Tegan backed her up unto the counter of their bathroom sink and standing between the taller woman’s long legs. This time it was the smell of Annalise that drove Tegan into overdrive, possessively kissing the older woman till they both breathless. 

“I missed you so much, baby.” Tegan breathed against Annalise’s mouth. “So much.” She kissed her again, grabbing the taller woman’s face with both her hands and gently nipping her lips before descending down her neck to attack her pulse point. Annalise gasped when, distracted by Tegan’s lips on her neck , she felt the woman’s fingers graze across her wet folds and Annalise’s eyes crossed in pleasure. 

Tegan grinned against her wife’s neck when her groans grew louder, only to be drowned out by the music playing in the background. Feeling Annalise coats her fingers in her wetness, that has already spread across her thighs and left evidence of their tryst on the counter beneath her. “Tea, please don’t-” Annalise could barely pant out through her lust filled haze. 

“What baby? Tease?” Tegan goaded, her fingers expertly spreading her open and her fingertips grazing her entrance. “You don’t want me to tease you?” Tegan smirked and raised an eyebrow before dropping to her knees in front of the taller woman. Her mouth watering when she finally came to eye level with her wife’s dripping cunt. Annalise didn’t get a chance to answer when Tegan dove in, their bath long since forgotten and no longer able to control the urge to taste her wife again. Her tongue sliding all across Annalise’s slick petals, covering her face in her wife from the nose down. The taste of her coated her tongue and mouth like the sweetest peach she’d ever had and she feasted like she hasn’t been fed in years. 

Annalise grunted and let out a moan deep from the back of her throat when Tegan’s mouth made contact with her. Her hand instantly reaches for her wife’s head to keep her there, tightening her fingers in her scalp only goading Tegan more in her assault. She’d been on edge since Tegan first met her downstairs in that one piece that she knew, in her head, she wouldn’t be in long. Tegan continued to lap at her lazily, allowing herself to get her fill of her wife; she gripped Annalise’s thigh to keep her open as she continued the actions she knew now by muscle memory. Up and down, around in circles and suckling at her clit, earning all the noises and gasps that kept her up the past two years after her dreams. Looking for the noise that she wanted to hear, she gently used her left hand to gently prod at her wife’s entrance. Hearing the taller woman’s breath hitch, she slowly eased two fingers past the tight ring of her entrance. Her walls instantly sucking her fingers in and clenching around them mercilessly, making it a little difficult for Tegan to start her slow strokes against the spot she knew would send Annalise over the edge in a matter of minutes. 

“Ah-” Annalise gasped at the feeling of her wife’s fingers stretching her so delightfully and she threw her head back against the mirror with a loud thud as she felt Tegan start to slowly stroke the insides of her walls, easily finding the spot that sent her eyes fluttering to the back of her head in pleasure. That delicious push and pull that’s so familiar, so _Tegan._ She has always been so ridiculously good at pleasuring her, at _fucking_ her. It took the shorter woman no time to learn any and everything that made Annalise tick, emotionally _and_ physically right from the start of their relationship. Never failing to leave the woman a panting mess wherever she had her, and nothing not even time apart had changed that. Tegan had every curve, every plane of her body outside and in, memorized and always knew how to play them. So when Annalise felt that pressure begin to build in her gut, her walls fluttering madly against Tegan’s fingers, the woman knew to pick up the pace just slightly and curve just the slightest bit deeper. Tegan continued to stroke as Annalise’s legs began to tremble, her toes curling and fingers digging deeper into her wife’s scalp, pulling just tight enough to spur Tegan into the gentle suckling of her clit and _that_ does it. 

Annalise comes with a sharp cry as stars burst behind her eyes, coming all over Tegan’s fingers and tongue. Gently stroking her down as best she could with Annalise gripping Tegan’s fingers in wave after wave after wave of her orgasm till her legs fell limp. Tegan gently eased her fingers from her wife and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her right thigh and stood up from her position. Stretching her legs out in the process, she looked over at her wife who was still laid, spent on the counter. A small smile of success crossed her face, mentally applauding herself for a job well done when she hears her wife scoff. 

“You can wipe that smug ass smile off your face, Price.” Annalise sat herself up on her arms as Tegan’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Just wait till I can get the feeling back in my legs.”

Tegan smiled coyly. “Is that a threat, Mrs. Price?” Her eyebrows shot up skeptically at her wife she watched her get down off the corner on wobbly knees and chuckled when Annalise walked over to her. The taller woman stood over the smug looking Latina and leaned down into her ear, whispering firmly sending a shock wave down Tegan’s spine and landing directly to the tip of her clit, throbbing painfully. 

“It’s no threat, Mrs. Price.” Annalise bent over the tub and pulled the plug, the water long since has turned cold and that wasn’t exactly what Annalise had in mind for tonight. She turned back to Tegan, her glare dark and smoldering, making Tegan gulp audibly. “I’m gonna spread you out across our bed and make you cum so hard that you can’t speak English is my plan.” Tegan bit her lip and this time it was Annalise who smirked. “Get in there and when I come in there you better be spread open for me.” 

Tegan blinked before Annalise shot her a glare before gesturing her head to the bedroom. “Ahora!” (“Now!”) Annalise commanded and Tegan made her way into the bedroom, her thighs coated instantly with a fresh coat of arousal. Annalise commanding her in Spanish did something she wasn’t prepared for. Every step felt slippery and like too much friction to her overly sensitive parts. She swore all Annalise would have to do is just kiss her just once down there and she would be sent careening over the edge. She pulled the duvet down to just the sheets and settled herself in the middle of the bed, her heart beating double time in anticipation as she spread her legs wide. Her arousal hit her nostrils as she dripped onto the sheets waiting for Annalise to do whatever she wanted to her. 

Annalise stepped into the bedroom after taking her time blowing out the candles and put the speaker still playing music and turned the volume up, placing it on the dresser next to the bathroom door before finally laying her eyes on her wife. There laid the most beautiful and erotic thing she’s probably laid eyes on in her entire life. Tegan spread wide and on her back propped up one elbow, her caramel hinted colored skin in contrast to their dark burgundy sheets. Her dark almond shaped eyes, almost black as her other free hand played gently between her legs spreading her wetness across her lips and leaving the dripping evidence underneath her. The smell of her arousal hung in the air as a thick smog, choking Annalise’s senses and she crossed the room as fast as her legs could take her. Climbing into the bed and settling herself between Tegan’s legs, she pulled the Latina’s hand from between her legs and brought her fingers to her lips wrapping her tongue around her digits, sucking the essence from her fingers. Tegan groaned and lurched forward, capturing Annalise’s lips in a passionate kiss. Annalise’s hands ran everywhere across Tegan’s before finally settling on her breasts, breaking free of their kiss she used both hands to knead Tegan’s breasts and suckling each nipple. Alternating between sharp bites and laving her tongue over the affected area, causing the Latina to throw her head back in pleasure. Gasping as fresh wetness dripped to the sheets below them. 

“You...ahora.” Tegan gasped, and Annalise knew she had her right where she wanted her. With one final gentle bite to her left nipple, Annalise slipped down Tegan’s body placing wet kisses in her path down to her final destination. Tegan let her back hit the bed as she felt Annalise place kisses to her lower stomach, paying extra attention to the stretch marks that graced her hips now in the aftermath of the birth of their daughter all those years ago. Tegan let out that breathy moan she always did when Annalise pressed those kisses there, as if worshipping the woman who housed and birthed their child. Tegan’s heart swelled, at being home with her wife and the thought of the love of her entire life praising her for being _hers_. Tears sprung free from her eyes beyond her control when she finally felt Annalise press a soft kiss to her clit as she gasped in pleasure. 

Annalise’s eyes rolled in the back of her head when her tongue was finally coated with her wife’s thick essence. The taste felt like home and love and _Tegan_ and she swore she could die right there between her wife’s legs. She dove in deeper, lapping incessantly her folds and hiking one of Tegan’s legs over her shoulder so she could suckle at her pearl, knowing the goddess below her’s buttons like she knew her own. Entering her when she least expected it, with two fingers causing the Latina’s back to arch almost painfully and grip the sheets so hard they pulled from the corner of the mattress. 

“Dios _mío_ .” (“My _god_ .”) Tegan uttered eyes rolling back in pleasure, her walls gripping Annalise like a vice, making it damn near impossible to move. Annalise relented her tongue for a moment to allow the woman to uncoil a bit, wanting to savor keeping her teetering for the time being. When she felt the woman’s walls relax a bit she continued to stroke, deeper till she felt the spot she knew like the back of her hand and fluttered her fingers gently against it. Causing the woman beneath her to let out a string of expletives in Spanish and other words Annalise couldn’t really make out through her pants and groans which were _gratefully_ drowned out by the music to the outside world but loudest to Annalise. When she felt Tegan finally take a breath she continued her assault with her tongue, now almost impatient with the idea of _not_ having Tegan coming in her mouth right now felt wrong and she doubled her efforts. 

Tegan wasn’t exactly sure if she was of this plane of existence anymore, at the moment. She feels like she’s watching this from outside her body, looking down and to be honest. It looks _filthy_ . Probably the hottest thing she’s ever seen in her life, but also the filthiest. Her left hand leaves it’s grip in the sheets in exchange for the top of Annalise’s head to keep her head still as Tegan relentlessly grinds her core against her tongue and fingers, coating her wife in her honey which is all over them and everywhere else at this point. Annalise’s left hand gripping her left breast hard enough to be leaving dark red marks across her breast and Tegan feels like she’s going to be broken apart any second now in the best way possible. Annalise ups the ante, feeling Tegan gripping and pulling at her fingers like she wants to swallow her entire hand before releasing her breast to hike her other leg up over her other shoulder. The friction causing Tegan to plummet over the edge, her walls contracting and releasing over and over. Her mouth drops into a silent “o” shape before she goes rigid, gasping and panting repeatedly audibly after a moment trying to catch her breath as her face to her chest flushes red, coming all over Annalise’s hand, tongue and the sheets. _This image_ , Annalise corrects herself, _is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen in my life_.

Tegan has _never_ been loud in bed. Annalise has always tended to be the shouter. But _this_ is probably the loudest she’s _ever_ heard Tegan. And while it wasn’t what one typically would think would be loud, Annalise knows it’s loud for Tegan and based off the way she’s still trembling underneath her as she crawls up her body pressing a final kiss to her hip, that it’s probably the hardest she’s come in a while, if ever. Pulling the sheet loose from underneath a limp Tegan to cover both of them, Annalise presses a sweaty kiss to her forehead as Tegan’s eyes flutter lazily. A goofy, sedated smile graces her lips as she purses her lips for another kiss, Annalise rolls her eyes but grins anyway pressing another sweet kiss to her lips. 

They laid in silence for a while, lying tangled together beneath the sheets of their bed and alternating breathing falling in sync like they have always done, music humming in the background but neither of them could make out the song. Tegan was dozing in and out of sleep in her wife’s arms, finally feeling at home and content. She had realized soon after she and Annalise had embarked on their relationship all those years ago, that her home was going to be wherever Annalise was. Twenty some odd years later and that hasn’t changed. They always said home is where the heart is and she had come home to _her_ heart, Annalise Harkness Price. 

_Fin._


	2. We Know What's True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tegan and Annalise decide to start their family. But little did they know, with great love can also come great loss. This story is tied into the "Coming Home" Universe. This story can stand on it's own or you can read CH before you read this one :) 
> 
> **T/W**  
> This chapter deals with a minor character death and postpartum depression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a lot more angsty and a hell of a lot longer than I initially was trying to do with this one-shot lol. But I think I needed something to work through my own crap right now. So I hope I don't lose anyone with this. I appreciate the ya'll taking the time to read this.

_ ***SIXTEEN YEARS PRIOR*** _

Tegan sat on the bed in her and Annalise’s shared bedroom wringing her hands nervously and chewing her lip. Glancing up to her wife for some type of comfort she sees Annalise pacing nervously back and forth, the motion leaving impressions of her bare feet into the carpet following behind her. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, if this was any indication of Annalise as a parent Tegan indeed had her work cut out for her. 

Six years they had been together by this point, married for two of those years and the topic of children came up often. So often, in fact that it was a no brainer by the time Annalise laid next to her after giving her her third sheet gripping, eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-your-head orgasm of the night and looked deep into her eyes and the look filled with so much love Tegan thought for sure she would drown in the depths of her affection for this woman; said the words Tegan had dreamt of often.

“I want to start our family.” Annalise punctuated her statement by gently caressing the Latina’s lower stomach where their child would one day grow and Tegan smiled so hard she was scared her face would crack, tears instantly filling her eyes and spilling over in large droplets. 

“Seriously?” Tegan croaked out, her voice breaking with emotion and Annalise took the opportunity to press gentle kisses to her face where the tears were falling. 

“Yeah.” She smiled warmly, her own eyes glassy with emotion and Tegan couldn’t  _ not _ kiss her after that. Straddling the taller woman’s waist and adjusting herself so their most intimate parts were pressed together and proceeded to show her appreciation in the way she knew best. 

~~~~

They decided after five months of research, doctors appointments and hormone treatments that they couldn’t decide on a sperm donor from any of the IVF clinics in Philadelphia. When Annalise sat back in frustration on the chair in their living room and rubbed her temple in exhaustion when Tegan slammed the donor book down on the table. 

“This is so stupid!” She yelled in frustration, throwing her hands up in defeat and slumping into the couch. “No one in here is right. I bet all these people lied to seem interesting or something.” 

“It might be time to consider plan C, Tea.” Annalise conferred with her wife and Tegan sighed in agreement. 

“You’re probably right, Anna.” Tegan crossed her feet underself and reached over to her phone, looking for the familiar number in her phone but hesitating to press the call button. She panicked. “This is so weird. How do I just ask him if he wants to do this?”

“Tegan, please stop acting like he doesn’t tell us all the time he’d be a donor for us.” Annalise reasoned with her wife walking over to her on the couch, plopping down next to her and wrapping her in her arms. “Miguel’s been offering since we got married.” Annalise reasoned with her wife, trying to get her to talk about her apprehensions. “You said he’s been offering since you first got a serious girlfriend. Now’s the time to take him up on the offer.”

“How are you so calm about the idea of me carrying my twin brother’s baby, Annalise? There’s something so backwoods about it.” Tegan sighed, looking at her wife with questioning eyes. 

It’s true, Miguel has been offering his duties as a donor for years. Miguel and Tegan had been close their entire lives. If the picture of them after they were born holding hands in their shared bassinet told anything, her older brother by five minutes was her best friend. He held their family together when lung cancer took their Dad when they were eleven, dried Tegan’s eyes when their grandparents abandoned her when she revealed she was a lesbian at seventeen and held whatever bit of her heart was left when breast cancer took their mom at eighteen. Her rock in ways she never could’ve imagined. It had always taken her off guard when he brought up the topic, somewhat off put by the idea of him being the father of her children. He always insisted that maybe her wife would be the one carrying and then that way the kid would be hers biologically too. At the time she was dating Cora Duncan and at nineteen, Tegan really wasn’t thinking about settling down let alone kids. So she brushed her brother off when he told her to think about it. 

He never spoke on the topic again, and after the on again off again push and pull of her and Cora's relationship... Tegan was grateful. She didn’t need any additional possible scenarios to keep her in love with someone who felt neglected and intimidated by her work ethic. So Cora ended things for good and Tegan coped by burying herself in work. It made it a little easier to excel when it was no uncommon fact that Tegan was somewhat of a genius. She found pride and power in her academic achievements, determined to make her parents and sibling proud and prove her homophobic grandparents wrong. But meeting Annalise her final year of Law School had changed everything. 

Tegan was a year and a half out of the mess with Cora and Annalise started as a study partner, that turned into a friend, then a close friend and then somewhere in the midst of that, morphed into more. By the time her and Annalise had made it public after her graduation, all it took was Miguel to see the two women together to know that something was different this time around. Tegan and Annalise hadn’t been together for two full years before Miguel reminded her of his offer again. By then, all Tegan could do was think about settling down and starting a family with Annalise. So by the time he kissed her cheek when he walked her down the aisle giving her hand to Annalise, she wasn’t shocked when he whispered a reminder in her ear during their dance at the reception of his offer again. She always joked with Annalise about it until she brought it up as a viable option one day. Tegan conceded with Annalise as a back up plan to the back up plan and Tegan has been mulling over the possibility of this being the only way they could both get what they wanted. 

“It’s not like you’re the one fucking him, Tegan.” Annalise rolled her eyes and laughed at the way Tegan coiled in disgust at the suggestion. “And neither am I. It’s  _ my _ egg they’re fertilizing, you’re just carrying it. So you’re really carrying my baby.” Annalise smirked, nudging Tegan playfully. “Told you I’d get you pregnant one day.”

Tegan fought hard to keep the smile off her face, trying to stifle her laughter trying to bubble up to the surface. “Shut up, you dirty ol’ woman.” 

“Oh so we’re making age jokes again I see?” Annalise smirked, snatching Tegan up into her lap and laughing when Tegan squealed trying to get away from her grasp. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Tegan repeated laughing bracing herself before the assault came. Annalise smirked and settled the shorter woman more comfortably on her lap. 

The darker skinned woman’s face turned softly in attention to her wife, gently grabbing her chin and forcing her to look into her eyes. “You said it yourself. None of these donors are right, Tea. And we want this baby to be part of both of us. This is kind of the only way our baby can be  _ ours _ .”

“And my brothers.” Tegan mumbled and Annalise rolled her eyes. “Baby, if Miguel isn’t opposed to it and neither am I, what’s stopping you from getting what you want? You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

“That saying is so stupid.” Tegan pouts. “Why would you get cake in the first place to not eat it? That’s the point.”

“The point, Tegan.” Annalise emphasized. “Is that we have a donor that ensures all we want is all I’m saying. But, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable in. So think about it.”

Tegan mulled it over, her wife did have a point. And while there still was a part of her that was apprehensive, there was a point in the fact that it wouldn’t be  _ her _ egg that was fertilized. More than anything she wanted a little miniature version of them both running around the house and the only way they would be possible sans a medical miracle would be the only other male with similar DNA to hers, Miguel. 

“I’ll call him tomorrow.” Tegan affirmed and Annalise froze, grabbing Tegan by her arms gently and facing her to look at her. “You’re serious?” She scans her wife’s face for any sign of deception. 

“Yes, I'm serious. You're right, Anna. It just is gonna be a weird conversation for me. What do I say? ‘Miguel hey, can you finally nut in a cup for my wife so we can have a kid?’”

“If you ask him like that I’m filing for divorce.” Tegan snorts. “And weren’t you just the one whose skin was crawling at the idea of carrying her brother’s seed? Now you making nut jokes?” 

Tegan practically hollers in loud boisterous laughter, her head falling back and her mouth wide open and a light just shines from within her and  _ goddamnit _ if Annalise didn't get lucky finding this woman. 

“Gotta find humor somewhere I suppose.” Annalise rolls her eyes but wraps her arms closer around her wife's waist, gently rubbing circles on her lower stomach. A habit she’s recently got into since they decided to try to have a child and it soothes Tegan’s mind way more than she thought it would once it started.

~~~

The alarm went off on Annalise’s phone and for a moment time stood still. The two women looked at each other for a moment, both of them terrified and looking back and forth between the bathroom door and each other. 

After a moment, Annalise cleared her throat. “You want me to go check?” Tegan shook her head no, feeling nauseous all of a sudden again. 

She took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom. Her eyesight zoned immediately on the pregnancy test sitting on the counter, she prayed silently before walking over to it. Promising herself regardless of the outcome, not to be too upset about it. They could try again. It still took her a moment before she walked over to the counter to grab it. Her eyes closed in preparation of news that could very well make or break her Sunday. When she opened them, she blinked in disbelief before rereading the test again. Her eyes welling with tears, there in bold pink letters read ‘PREGNANT’. She covered her mouth to catch a loud sob holding the test when Annalise burst in.

“What’s wron-'' Annalise stopped mid sentence when she took in Tegan’s appearance, her eyes wide and wet from tears in her eyes and covering her mouth, the test shaking in her hands. She walked over to her wife and gently pried the test from her hands, reading it over her eyes glazed over with tears herself and her gaze shot to her wife who’s openly crying at this point. Annalise grabs her wife and kisses her, starting with her forehead and cheeks, then the tip of her nose before finally placing the last and softest kiss to her lips. Their kisses tasted like a mix of sweet and salt from their tears. She could only mutter one thing. Her hands immediately taking rest on her wife’s lower stomach. “My  _ baby _ is having  _ our _ baby.”

~~~~

_ Four Months. Second Trimester _

They had waited till they got past the first trimester to tell anyone. 

It was a hard secret to keep. Tegan had worked out Ophelia had become increasingly suspicious one Sunday when Tegan was about two months along when she noticed the smell of collard greens, more specifically the ham that they were cooked with, sent the shorter woman flying into the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. She started to make them with turkey necks from that day. 

The first three months were rough to say the least, between Tegan’s violent morning sickness, her round the clock cravings of that damn Mango Limeade smoothie from the mom and pop shop up the street (which got  _ so _ bad the owner took pity on her and started making her 2 gallon jugs of the stuff so she wouldn’t have to make so many trips. Annalise made sure to tip  _ extra _ from then on), her mood swings at the drop of a hat and bouts of sleep almost anywhere she could find a spot that was comfortable enough. Annalise knew she had her work cut out for her. At first, she thought the incessant crying fits were adorable, when warranted, who  _ doesn’t _ tear up a good Disney movie? But she drew the line when she caught Tegan crying in their bathroom because her favorite dress didn’t fit anymore and she just  _ knew _ Annalise was packing her bags. It took Annalise making Tegan come four times and being forty-five minutes late to Caplan & Gold that morning before Tegan believed that Annalise still loved and wanted her no matter what. “For better or worse remember?”

Tegan had effectively left out that she herself had called out of the DA’s Office that morning and went to sleep immediately afterwards. Annalise took it all in stride. She loved spending her time doting on Tegan hand and foot, sometimes to Tegan’s fury but that didn’t stop her. Annalise was grateful Tegan was providing her body to house their child, she’ll spend the rest of their lives thanking her. When Tegan was asleep she spent the time baby proofing the house and getting diapers, wipes and onesies. 

It was Celestine’s 27th Birthday dinner when they dropped the bomb at dessert. 

Celestine squeals so loud, Annalise swears she loses hearing in her left ear when the woman jumps up and squeezes the both of them in a hug. Ophelia just has tears in her eyes repeating that she was gonna be a grandma. Tegan gets up and takes off the sweater she was wearing revealing a mustard yellow, quarter length sleeved dress that stopped just above her knees and hugged her curves. The material was noticeably stretching across her small baby bump and Tegan grinned brightly, bringing her hands to rub her bump gently. Ophelia got up from her chair and walked over to her and placed her hands on the Latina’s stomach, she rubbed her stomach gently before praying softly over the child. The action made Tegan start to tear up and Ophelia wrapped the woman in a hug, placing kisses on her cheek repeatedly. Celestine hugged her sister and Annalise didn’t realize she was crying until Celestine wiped her tears. 

~~~~

_ Five Months. _

Miguel literally  _ yanks _ Tegan off her feet in a hug and swings her around in a circle when she tells him. 

Annalise smiles at the two before he runs over to her and picks her up too. She laughs as she playfully slaps the boy's arms to get him to put her down before he places kisses on her cheek. The two look eerily similar to be fraternal twins. The same large almond shaped eyes, pronounced nose and round full lips, the two the same shade of golden caramel. The only difference is that he’s pushing almost five-eleven to her wife’s five-foot-four stature. 

He puts her down and immediately goes back over to Tegan, getting teary eyed and gently starts to rub his sister’s growing stomach. Tegan smiles as he rubs her belly and he starts speaking softly to it in spanish. 

“Hola dulce, soy tu tío.” (“Hello sweet one, I’m your uncle.”) He continued on just rubbing her stomach all over, now on his knees in front of her talking directly to her belly button. Annalise laughed warmly at the sight, only being able to understand him telling the baby he was their uncle. Annalise knew it was only a matter of time before the waterworks from her wife started. 

“Te voy a malcriar.” (“I’m gonna spoil you rotten.”) He punctuated each sentence with a gentle rub. “Eres tan amado.” (“You are so loved already.”) He leans in and whispers softly, Tegan has to strain to hear it but what he says makes her stifle a sob. “Tienes las dos mejores mamás que detendrán el cielo y el infierno por ti.” (“You have the two best mommies who will stop heaven and hell for you.”) Miguel got off his knees and wrapped his sister in another big hug who just wrapped her arms around him and cried into his neck. 

“Te amo.” Tegan sobbed into her brother's arms. Releasing a tidal wave of emotion into her brother’s arms. Something told Annalise to let her have this moment with her twin, the two experiencing something unimaginable. Tegan felt a wave of emotions, not just brought on by her raging hormones. She felt happy that she has her brother to share this with, she’s happy beyond belief at the family she and Annalise were creating together. But she also can’t help but feel deep sorrow at the same time. Her mami wasn’t here to share this news with, her abuelita wouldn’t care. Probably call their baby an abomination, like she called her. Her Daddy wasn’t here to build her a bassinet like he did for her and Miguel and neither of her grandfathers were still here. Tegan felt filled with love but alone at the same time. She didn’t know who else to share this grief with other than her brother. He was the only person who knew what this meant to her, to them. They promised to protect each other, they were all they had. Now their own family was growing by another member. Miguel beamed at his sister with pride, he always knew she’d make it out alright. 

“Bendice a la persona que intenta detener tu brillo, pequeño.” (“Bless the person who tries to stop your shine, little one.”) 

~~~~

_ Seven Months. Third Trimester. _

If there’s one place Annalise and Tegan had  _ never _ had a problem, it was the bedroom. While they sometimes fought and disagreed like all couples, one thing they never disagreed on was sex. They knew each other inside and out and neither of them had someone else make them feel the way the other does. But now Annalise is actually worn out, Tegan has been in hyperdrive and her ever growing belly is making that more difficult. Between Tegan beginning her nesting phase and settling the nursery, she found herself with a lot of spare time on her hands and of course Annalise was the conduit for this spare time. 

Not that the taller woman had a problem of course. You know, just maybe she’d like a break long enough for a gatorade and a protein bar or something. Tegan complained it was because of the pain in her pelvic floor from the baby (a term she got from the OBGYN and was milking it for all it’s worth) and Annalise  _ really _ just knew her wife and the reality was that Tegan  _ loved _ getting her pussy ate. That’s a fact, she always has. That only increased tenfold when she got pregnant and then everything cranked up to eleven. Annalise both reaped the benefits and paid the consequences. Her wife was insatiable and she swore to herself she only had a few more acts of oral before lockjaw sets in. 

If it wasn’t that, it was literally everyone asking at every turn what they were having. Ophelia and Celestine stopped by way more than usual, calling it “taking peeks at the baby's nursery to see how it was coming along” and “seeing what else the baby needed” when looking in the closet. Annalise knew what her mama and sister were up too, which is why she was completely on board when Tegan suggested neutral colors for the baby’s nursery and clothes until they were here for anything specific. The two women only cared about giving birth to a happy and healthy baby and could care less about what gender it was. Adding to the fact that Tegan thought gender reveals were tacky, the two were more than ok with the element of surprise. 

Which just burned Celestine, Ophelia AND Miguel to the core; how could they  _ not _ want to know?

_ ~~~~ _

_ Eight Months.  _

Things took a turn for the worst one Saturday afternoon. 

Tegan was upstairs in the nursery folding the clothes she’s washed for the fifth time when she hears her phone ring in the bedroom. She’s a lot rounder now. She can’t really feel her feet, let alone see them, her back’s killing her and to make things even better, the baby is deciding now to do gymnastics with her ribs and flip on her bladder. She’s learned one too many times already that if she feels the need to go she better so she figures she’ll call back whoever it is when she’s done. Not to mention she’s already slow moving to begin with so she better not chance it.

However the phone stops ringing and immediately starts again. This alarms her when she calls out for Annalise to grab her phone.  _ Anyone calling back to back like this must be important right?  _

Annalise comes to find her in the bathroom a few minutes after with tears in her eyes, gripping Tegan’s phone in her hand with white knuckles. Tegan is immediately on high alert seeing her wife’s body language and looks at her with concerned eyes. 

She doesn’t hear much past Annalise’s explanation after she hears Miguel’s name and the words ‘car accident’. 

~~~

Tegan can’t really tell you much about the rest of that day. 

She doesn’t really remember how she got to the hospital, the only thing she registers is Annalise’s hand in hers; keeping her feet to the ground. She only remembers the smell, the smell of the hospital lobby. She’s always had a sort of fear of them, stemming from the death of her Father and Mother years prior and she remembers the stale smell of disinfectant and the thick smog it felt like of sickness. 

The memory is still the same now. She barely remembers the name of the doctor that came out to tell her what happened and that they did all they could do. 

Annalise however remembers everything. She remembers the grip Tegan had on her hand the entire way and in the waiting room. She remembers Tegan’s tear filled gaze as she mumbled to her stomach in Spanish, rubbing it consistently for comfort. But most of all she remembers the wail of despair that left deep from her wife’s gut when the doctor offered condolences for her loss. She remembered the doctor’s relative cold relation of the news. That Tegan had lost the only family she had left to a freak traffic accident. How he only showed concern once she dropped to her knees, in her very pregnant state holding her stomach letting out a sound that tore Annalise's chest wide open. How they admitted Tegan in for observation that night to monitor her and the babies vitals after her panic attack, worried the stress would send her into early labor and they gave her a small dose of benadryl to help her sleep for a while. 

Annalise remembers every second of every day after that too. 

She remembers when Tegan woke up and was different. Her eyes didn’t sparkle, she was despondent and that smile that made Annalise fall in love with her was gone. Which, she understood, you weren't just immediately ok with the death of your brother after a night's rest. 

She remembers the doctors telling her that Tegan and the baby were ok, but he was placing her on bed rest till she gives birth and to look out for her and watch her anxiety and stress levels as her blood pressure skyrocketed the night prior. The way Tegan said nothing on the way home, just resting her head on the car window with her hand on her stomach crying softly. Annalise just grabbed her hand and squeezed. This time Tegan didn’t squeeze back. 

~~~

Annalise held her wife’s hand tightly at Miguel’s funeral, quiet tears were shed from both women but Tegan still hasn’t squeezed back. Once his body is lowered in the ground, Tegan just stands there. Staring into the grave and back at the plot, now with her brother’s name next to her Father and Mother. Her hands instinctively fall to her stomach and fresh tears pour from her eyes, she drops to her knees in the grass and cries and Annalise’s heart shatters. She moves to comfort her wife and she wrestles gently from her wife’s grip, before Annalise grips her tighter and Tegan let’s loose like she’s never heard. Her body shaking and heaving in sobs, her face buried in her wife’s neck as she clings to her. They stay like that for almost an hour and it takes the roar of thunder before Annalise could urge Tegan back to their car to go home.

Tegan spent the entire last month of her pregnancy in their bed, staring out the large window with silent tears. Annalise was in a way grateful, knowing the woman would’ve been hard to keep in bed if not for the circumstances. Her Mom and Celestine were God’s Gift during all of this. Always bringing food and checking on the two women, Tegan still didn’t say much, always brief short sentences. But she was speaking, and that was better than the weeks after Miguel’s death and leading up to the funeral. Annalise had taken a leave of absence from work and had called the DA’s office on behalf of Tegan to do the same for her and the older woman was exhausted. 

The older woman found herself helpless watching Tegan sink further away. Refusing to be touched at all, just allowing Annalise to place kisses to her forehead and cheek and forgetting doctors appointments and spending the time she wasn’t sleeping just staring out the window. It was a predicament Annalise never would’ve imagined being in. Not with Tegan, the woman always exuded this strength and almost superhuman ability to deal with pain. Not that she never showed emotion, Annalise knew otherwise, but seeing the woman crumble humanized Tegan in a way that both broke her heart but made Annalise want to do everything she could to make the Latina shine her light again. Tegan needed her and they were less than a few weeks from Tegan’s due date. They just had to get past this hump and the arrival of their bundle of joy would hopefully brighten Tegan’s darkness shrouded skies. 

~~~

It’s a month to the exact day of Miguel’s funeral when Tegan’s water breaks. 

It’s a typical overcast Saturday morning on October the 19th when Tegan wakes up and realizes the sheets were wet, thinking she had an accident in her flitful bouts of sleep and not really being able to bring herself to care she just rolls over into Annalise’s side of the bed, trying to lull her mind into silence. Her dreams are full of memories and smiles of Miguel and her parents and she doesn’t understand how one person can just have everything taken from her. She doesn’t understand how she’s the one who always gets punished for even trying to be happy. 

She was happy as a kid, then her dad died. 

She found some semblance of happiness again with her mom and brother, then the rest of the family disowned her. 

She finally thought she found her solace again and then her mother died. 

When she found Annalise she figured she had lost enough at that point and it was time for her turn to be happy but what did she get, her brother laying right next to her parents. She turned into the pillow as she felt new hot tears sting her eyes and a sharp pain shoot across her back up the side of her stomach and she gasped in pain. Figuring she was laying in an uncomfortable position she adjusted herself and tried to close her eyes, desperately looking for a sleep where her dreams wouldn’t hound her at every turn.  _ Why was it that everyone she ever loved died or left her? How long until Annalise? The baby? _

A few hours of flitting sleep is all she got before another sharp pain shot up her side that woke her up out of her sleep and she groaned loudly in pain clutching her side. Her mind running a mile a minute, emotions flooding her senses all at once. She finally wills herself to get out of bed thinking that maybe a bath would help ease the ache in her back. She’s hot and Annalise’s Harvard t-shirt she had on was sticking to her, the wet shirt stretched uncomfortably across her large stomach and suddenly it was unbearable. She started to take her shirt off when the next one hit her out of nowhere and she was brought to her knees at the intensity. Tears sprang to her eyes when the ache didn’t pass like the two but instead cramped something unbearable, she gasped in pain. She couldn’t do this, not now.

She spent the next hour on the floor, clutching her stomach and tears staining her cheeks. She asked over and over why now, she wasn’t ready to be a Mother yet.  _ How _ could she be a mother right now? The next one’s intensity caused her eyes to blur with tears when she let out an ear piercing scream, this one not allowing her time to prepare herself to grit her teeth through it. It was a matter of seconds after when Annalise burst into the room, eyes wide in panic, scanning the room for her wife. When her eyes landed on Tegan, gripping her stomach on the floor in tears, she immediately ran to her wife’s side and grabbed her face gently as Tegan grit her teeth through the contraction. She doubled over in the residual pain, swallowing her scream through gritted teeth almost stubbornly trying to will the contractions to stop. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes when she looked up to Annalise with desperate eyes, “Anna, I  _ can’t _ do this now.” She begged and Annalise wasn’t sure how it was possible to feel her heart swell and break at the same time. 

~~~

It was a  _ long _ 23 hours. 

When they got to the hospital, the doctor confirmed Tegan was indeed in the beginning stages of labor and tears sprung to the smaller woman’s eyes. Her heart breaking that she couldn’t bring herself to feel as excited about this as she was a few months ago. Annalise grabbed her hand and put the biggest smile on her face, placing kisses on Tegan’s forehead. “Our baby’s almost here.” She smiled, hoping her show of optimism would rub off on her. 

Tegan spent most of it in a daze, the epidural they gave her has her numb from the waist down and the contractions have remained steady since they were admitted. The doctor pulled Annalise aside when Tegan was able to find a bout of sleep between the contractions again to discuss her concern over Tegan’s apparent distant nature. She suggested a therapist who specialized in Perinatal Depression in new mothers and left off to get some more things in place for the delivery. 

Annalise felt like the rug was pulled from underneath her. On one hand the birth of their baby made her heart soar in ways she couldn’t have thought possible, but the very real reality of the arrival of their baby was shrouded in a layer of bittersweet that neither of the women could ignore. Celestine stayed with them, bringing food and leaving during the check ins with the doctor to call their mom with updates. 

They’re about eight hours into the delivery and Tegan’s contractions have been coming around in twelve minute intervals when the doctor announces after checking that Tegan is still only a little over 5cm dilated however the baby presented to be breech in vertex position and questioned if they wanted to consider other options other than a vaginal birth. This snapped Tegan out long enough to become enraged, her face flush with frustration and pain, yelling in a mix of Spanish and English. It took the nurse in the corner to translate that Tegan was yelling that they were not by any means cutting into her and a bunch of other colorful words she’d rather not repeat. The doctor warns the delivery will be longer and possibly more painful if she decides not to consider a cesarean. 

“If my mother gave birth to twins with less medical assistance I can clearly handle the birth of one!” 

~~~

Fifteen hours later on October 20th, Tegan brings a screaming seven pound eight ounce bundle of joy hurdling into the world. When the doctor places the tiny human into Tegan’s arms, she smiles warmly with tears pricking her eyes before she looks to Annalise, her own eyes filled with tears as she snaps a picture. Tegan looks exhausted but perfect at the same time, her face red and flushed and sweaty but she’s cradling their daughter, Annalise can’t believe she has a daughter now and she’s  _ perfect _ . 

Ten little adorable fingers and toes and a pair of lungs that would put her Mother’s to shame. A full head of dark beautiful curly hair, skin the most beautiful shade of brown and big round eyes, nose and full lips like her mother’s. Annalise never thought she could love something more and couldn’t believe she helped create something so perfect. 

“Anna.” Tegan’s voice came out, disoriented and the older woman was instantly on high alert. “Get her.” Annalise grabbed the baby from Tegan’s arms before the woman passed out from exhaustion, her arms going limp. 

She stepped over to the side as the doctors started Tegan on an IV and checked her vitals. Annalise took the time to take her daughter and press her to her chest. Tears springing to her eyes as she held the baby close to her chest and pressing soft kisses to her soft curly hair. “You are surrounded by so much love and so many guardian angels. I hope you feel it.”

~~~

Tegan cries when she breastfeeds for the first time. 

They still haven’t decided on a name yet and Annalise doesn't think much about it, thinking her wife is overwhelmed with emotion at feeding their child and thinks that things were starting to look up. 

It’s later in the day when Ophelia comes to the hospital while Tegan is sleeping. She immediately chastises Annalise for holding the baby while she’s sleeping, claiming she’s gone to spoil the baby before demanding her grandbaby herself. Annalise smiles and relents the baby to her mother and sister before checking on Tegan, her wife’s face marred with sadness even in her sleep and her heart dropped. She placed a kiss to her head when she heard the baby gurgle when she was passed to Celestine. The picture made her warm in a way she didn’t even know she was grateful for. 

Later that night before they got ready for Tegan’s discharge from the hospital the next morning, the nurse brought in the paperwork for the birth certificate and they were faced with the decision of naming their newborn daughter. 

“You know I was thinking...” Annalise started folding Tegan’s clothes and putting them in her duffle bag and packing up the formula, diapers and wipes the hospital gave them. “Isn’t Miguel the Spanish version of Michael?” 

Tegan’s throat closed up and she went stiff, cradling their daughter to her chest as she suckled gently. “Yeah...yeah it is. Why?” She asked, the mere mention of her brother caused her heart to lurch in sadness. He was so excited to be a Tío.  _ It’s not fair that he’s not here too.  _

“Well, I was thinking… what about Michaela?” She thought about it all last night watching the two people she loved most in the world sleep and the realization brought tears to her own eyes. She missed her brother-in-law much more than she let on. She thought the name would be a perfect tribute to the man who helped make her possible and the most important person in her wife’s life. The sharp gasp that left Tegan made Annalise’s eyes snap in her direction in alarm. Tegan had her head down and was gently caressing her daughter’s head with tears streaming down her face. Annalise knew she chose right. 

“I love it.” She spoke, her voice cracking with emotion and her eyes swollen and puffy with tears when she looked into her wife’s eyes. The look made Annalise cross the room and wrap her arms around her wife and daughter, crawling into bed next to them and playing with the baby’s hand as she nursed quietly with her eyes closed. “Michaela Price, no middle name.” Tegan nodded her head in approval and Annalise pressed a kiss to her wife’s head and grabbed the form and pen sitting on the side of the bed, filling out the name of their newborn daughter, Michaela Price. 

~~~

_ Michaela, 2 months. _

Annalise shakes the snow off her jacket as she makes her way into the house a little after 6:30 in the evening and sees her Mom fast asleep in the living room, the tv on a low volume. Michaela was nestled in the bassinet next to her that was gently rocking the infant and playing sounds of a heartbeat lubbing away on a loop. Annalise smiled when she saw the little girl was sleeping, wrapped in her favorite purple fuzzy blanket with her little fist raised over her head and her chest rising and falling. 

Taking off her coat, dropping her purse, keys and leaving her shoes at the door she makes her way into the living room before crawling over to her daughter’s bassinet. “Hey Mama.” She whispered while gently brushing some curls out of Michaela’s face. Ophelia stirred for a moment and sitting up startled before she saw Annalise’s face smiling back at her, she yawned and smiled back warmly. 

“Hey baby.” She looks around and notices it’s dark outside. “What time is it?” 

“It’s a little after 6:30.” Annalise stands up to help her up off the couch. “What time did she knock out?” 

“Tegan fed her a little after five so she should be up again around nine.” Ophelia gave her daughter a kiss and reached down to gently caress her granddaughter’s leg before heading over to the door for her things to head back home. 

“How is she?” Annalise asks her cautiously, following her Mother to the front door. 

Ophelia sighed sadly, “She’s still up in ya’ll room, staring off into lord knows what.” Ophelia started. “I’m worried. I had to force her to eat earlier. Could only get her to by telling her Michaela needs her to eat.” Annalise looked up to the sky sadly, she wasn’t sure what could be done. Tegan won’t even listen to a conversation about the therapist the doctor suggested. 

“Still crying when she feeds her and will hold her till she falls asleep and then gives her to me. I’m not sure this is baby blues.” Ophelia cautions. 

“I’ll try to talk to her again tonight.” Annalise relents and gives her mother a kiss. “Thank you, Mama. For everything.”

“You thank me again, Anna Mae. You're not too old to put over my knee.” Ophelia smiles when Annalise chuckles warmly. “I can get all the time in the world with my beautiful grandbaby. I’m happy.” She pats Annalise on her shoulder before heading out to her car. 

“Call me when you get home, Mama.” Annalise waved again when she saw Ophelia’s car start up and begin pulling out the driveway before she locked the door and headed back into the house. Going back into the living room, she turns off the tv and goes over to Michaela’s bassinet, carefully picking her up to take her upstairs into the nursery. Once she puts her in her crib, she places a kiss to her daughter's head and turns on the baby monitor. After cracking the door, she heads into her bedroom, preparing herself for what she would find today. 

Tegan’s still in the same spot she left her, laying on her side and staring out the window distantly. “Hey Baby.” Annalise smiled warmly and turned on the baby monitor in their room before sitting next to Tegan on the bed, gently rubbing her arm. 

“Hey.” was Tegan’s soft reply and Annalise turned her wife to face her. Her eyes are sad and red. She looked tired,  _ so _ tired. “Is Michaela ok?” She asked not really making eye contact with Annalise, the taller woman sighed. 

“She’s fine. I just put her in the crib, monitors on. Mama’s on her way back home.” Annalise rattled off, trying to act as normal as possible. “She said you still aren’t trying to eat.” Tegan huffed and rolled back over rolling her eyes. 

“Please not  _ now _ , Anna.” Tegan pleaded, she wasn’t in the mood. 

“Yes, now Tegan.” Annalise stressed as calmly as possible, trying her hardest to not get frustrated with her wife. She knows Tegan’s dealing with a lot right now. Losing the only family member you had left was already more than one heart could take. Add that with the stress of a long and high risk delivery and then the stress of being a new mother. She understood any normal person would be starting to crack under the pressure. Annalise was there to share that burden with Tegan. Those were the vows they made, she took them seriously when she made then and she took them seriously now. “Baby, I know you don’t feel like eating. I know an appetite is the last thing you have right now. But Michaela needs you strong. I need you strong. So you have to eat ok?” She begged with pleading eyes, and Tegan relented. 

“Fine.” 

~~~~~

_ Later that night, 4AM. _

Annalise is woken out of her sleep by Michaela’s cries, growing louder with each passing minute that she’s trying to rouse herself from sleep. Tegan’s asleep cold and not budging and Annalise rolls out of bed. 

Gently shushing the baby as she rocks her against her chest, she brings her back into the room. Michaela is still crying and Tegan is just now starting to rouse from her sleep. The smaller woman sits up from her spot on the bed and begins to unbutton her shirt before unlatching the nursing bra she was wearing, wordlessly. Annalise watches as her wife lays on her side facing the window, her bra open in the front and reaches out for the crying baby. “Give her to me.” The taller woman watches as Tegan cuddles Michaela to her chest and the baby latches on instantly, her tears quieting into a soft suckling sound. Her little fist reached up and wrapped around Tegan’s finger and closed her eyes, content as she nursed. 

Annalise walked back over to her side of the bed and crawled back in on her side of the bed, the room silent outside of Michaela’s light sucking noises when she heard Tegan sniffle. She’s not too sure if things are going to be ok anymore. 

~~~

_ Michaela, 5 months.  _

Annalise had to hold Tegan back from taking a swing at some woman that Sunday. 

It started out with Annalise  _ finally _ getting Tegan to get out the house for a walk in the park with Michaela. It was relatively warm for that time of year, still cold but the sun kept a warmth that allowed them to just bundle the baby up and get her stroller for a walk. 

It was a nice calm walk at the time. Tegan didn’t say much, but the fact that she finally got out of the house for something other than a few doctor's appointments was a win in her book. They had walked around for about a mile when Michaela started to get fussy, a dirty diaper was the culprit and the couple stopped at a bench to change her. Tegan was finishing up when a white woman in her mid forties and a badly dyed inverted bob haircut stopped her run to admire the infant. 

“Oh look at that adorable baby. She’s beautiful, Mama.” She looked up to Annalise and smiled, completely ignoring Tegan. 

“Thank you.” Tegan bit out, angrily. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I assumed…” The woman stuttered and flushed red, clearly embarrassed. 

“You assumed because she’s darker than me that she clearly was birthed by my wife right?” 

“I-I..” The other woman stammered, eyes wide and looking to Annalise for help. But honestly, Annalise was pissed too. 

“Oh, you stepped in it.” Annalise raised her hands up in a dismissive manner. “You know that’s exactly why you looked to me instead of just commenting on how adorable my daughter is.” 

“I didn’t mean to assume anything. I’m so sorry.” 

Tegan was enraged, Annalise could practically see the steam flying out of her ears. Her face red with fury. “Listen here, Karen.” Tegan started she stood up and slowly stepped to the woman with fire in her eyes making the other woman step back cowering in fear at the look in the woman’s eyes. “I carried that little girl for nine  _ long _ months.” She counted off on her fingers. “I went through 23 long hours of labor and have the damn stretch marks and chapped nipples to prove it! So she better be fucking  _ mine _ !” She growled and Annalise jumped up and grabbed her wife’s arm pulling her away from the cowering woman who ran away once Annalise pulled Tegan back. Tegan had tears in her eyes when Annalise focused her gaze back on her. “Can we just go back home please?” 

~~~~

Tegan nurses Michaela in private now. 

She got tired of Annalise’s concerned looks when she cried. She couldn’t explain it. She couldn’t control it. It just happens. Breastfeeding is supposed to be that bonding moment between Mother and Child. All the books and research she did to prepare told her and she couldn’t wait to have that time with her baby. But the first time she felt a  _ disconnect _ , that feeling didn’t change. She loved her daughter. She did, desperately. She housed her, grew her, felt her under her heart for nine months. But she couldn’t feel right now. She wasn’t sure she could feel anymore and the thought sickened her. She felt numb. In capable of feeling really anything, let alone  _ giving _ love. This shell of a person that just produced.  _ What type of mother was she? _ Annalise kept everything together. That woman was right, Anna was more of a mother to Michaela than she was. 

This isn’t the first time this has happened. 

Tegan was constantly bombarded with that shitty reality whenever Annalise accompanied them to a doctor’s appointment or just Tegan by herself. Compliments and smiles and congratulations, always directed towards Annalise or questions on the paternity of the baby she was holding. Her only reprieve was the doctor and the people she saw there regularly. She didn’t want to  _ not _ acknowledge her wife as Michaela’s mother, she was. But the slap in the face of not even being  _ recognized _ as her mother either stung even more. 

She wipes her tears when she feels Michaela grow limp and her breathing even out, signally her falling fast asleep. She smiled to herself realizing that she always falls asleep after eating, just like Annalise and  _ Miguel _ . The thought made her breath catch in her throat. She couldn’t even put into words the way she missed her brother and fresh tears pricked her eyes. Pressing a teary kiss to her daughters head, she covers her mouth to stifle a sob.  _ She was the only thing she had left of him. _

Annalise walks into the nursery when she hears Tegan’s familiar stifled sob, finding her wife holding on the side of Michaela’s crib with her head down her shoulders shaking with silent tears. She comes behind her and gently pulls her away from the crib and wraps her arms around her. Tegan falls into them with tears. The taller woman, no longer unsure on how to handle this predicament anymore and takes them into their bedroom. 

She runs a warm bath and fills it with their favorite scented bubbles before heading back in their bedroom. Tegan is sitting on the bed, shoulders slumped and eyes downcast and her wife helps her strip before ushering her to the bathroom. The smaller woman sinks into the water and draws her knees up to her chest and rests her head on her knees, facing away from Annalise. 

“Hey, look at me.” Annalise urges calmly and Tegan slowly looks to Annalise with sad eyes. The same sad eyes that have been looking back at her for months now. “What happened today?” 

“Anna-” The somber woman started before her wife interrupted. 

“Talk to me. You can’t keep shutting me out, Tea.” 

Tegan sighed when she felt more tears sting her eyes. She’s so fucking sick of crying all the time. She knows she’s been taking advantage of Annalise and her love. She’s been so patient and loving and taking care of her and Michaela. Her rock. “Anna, I’m so tired.” She sighed and Annalise grabbed her hand comfortingly. 

“Everything just feels so heavy and that woman just..” She took a deep breath to relax herself, she felt herself getting angry again. “Do you know what that feels like? To be holding your daughter, the one you grew inside your body and have someone ask you if she’s your niece or who’s baby she is? Like I  _ can’t _ be her mother?” Annalise felt her heart break when Tegan’s eyes welled with tears, her voice cracking and she slapped the water in frustration. “And I know I’m spiraling but I’m  _ trying _ and I’m still her mom Annalise. She’s still mine!” She emphasized through her tears. “Everyone watches over me like I’m going to hurt myself or something!” Tegan’s on a roll now, and Annalise just lets her get it out. She needs to get it out. 

“I have her!” Tegan emphasizes, in the direction of Michaela’s room. “She can’t feel what I felt, what I’m feeling. I’ll be damned, Anna.” She asserts wiping her eyes and sniffling. “I’m her mother and I feel like everywhere I turn I’m deemed unworthy of  _ everything _ , even her. How am I here but Miguel isn’t?” Tegan’s voice breaks at the end and Annalise wraps her arms around her and presses kisses to her shoulder.  _ Survivors Guilt.  _ Annalise thought to herself. 

“Baby listen to me and I want you to hear me, ok?” Annalise gently grabbed Tegan’s face and forced her to look in her eyes. “People are terrible, ok. Disgusting. They don’t validate you as a mother. They’re going to look down at us. They’re going to look down at Michaela because she’s raised by us. That doesn’t stop us from being her parents. That doesn’t stop you from being her mother.” She caresses Tegan’s cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

“Anyone who takes a close look at Michaela can see you in her. She has your eyes and your nose and that beautiful smile of yours that I love so much and your little toes.” Annalise grins and playfully nudges Tegan when she sees a small smile grace the woman’s face at her statement. “Only ignorant people will look at Michaela’s skin and just assume I gave birth to her, but those who actually look at our daughter  _ can’t _ deny you. So screw what those people think, we know what’s true.” Annalise kissed Tegan’s cheek tenderly.

“I know your Michaela’s mom and so does Mama and Celestine  _ and _ Miguel. He’s so proud of you for fighting so hard, honey. He wants you to be happy, that’s why he gave us her. But I never want you to forget one thing, there’s one person in this world who will never  _ not _ know you as her mother, and that’s Michaela.” Tegan’s eyes spilled over with hot fresh tears and she nodded, knowing in her heart her wife was right. She was so grateful to have her wife. She would’ve cracked a long time ago if it wasn’t for her. 

~~~~

_ Michaela, 7 months. _

Tegan finally relented after the incident at the park to go see the therapist her doctor recommended and it’s helped tremendously. 

Dr. Grimes, officially diagnosed her with Postpartum depression and started her on a regime of essential oils, a better diet and yoga. Which Tegan took to head on and Annalise had the sore legs after another afternoon session to prove it. Her bouts of crying became less and less frequent but she was willing to talk more, which Annalise appreciated more than anything. 

Annalise catches her wife smiling more often and playing with their daughter and  _ laughing _ . That laugh that shined from the inside out when Michaela chased her across the room. She had started crawling a few weeks ago and Tegan spent most of her days now on the ground chasing after or being chased by their young daughter who screeched happily in wild giggles when Tegan would catch her and blow kisses into her stomach. 

This time it was Annalise who’s eyes teared up. Things might actually be ok. 

~~~

_ Michaela, 9 months.  _

Annalise and Tegan both start crying when Michaela takes her first steps. 

She stumbles after about five steps and crawls the rest of the way to Tegan, reaching up with one chubby arm her other hand in her mouth, face covered in drool and a grin exposing her four little teeth that had started to come in and Tegan just smiled so brightly that Michaela gurgled happily and placed her wet sticky hand directly from her mouth right onto Tegan’s cheek. 

~~~

_ Michaela, 1 year.  _

It’s a little after Michaela’s first birthday when it happens. 

Annalise is sitting at home on the couch bouncing the toddler on her lap and pressing kisses to her face just to hear her squeal in delight and giggle. Her dark hair hangs to her shoulders in thick, full curls that framed her face and she was always brushing them out of her face to play. Her smile looked just like Tegan’s only miniature and those big almond shaped eyes lit up in delight and Annalise was through the moon in love. She presses loud kisses to her daughters stomach causing her to squeal again when Tegan gets home from her therapy session and plops down on the couch next to her wife with a sigh. Her face, morose and had hints of red tinted across her cheeks from crying. 

“Hard session?” Annalise asks looking up at her wife, her face scrunched up in question while Michaela tries her hardest to wiggle out of her grip to get to Tegan. Annalise holds the toddler back from climbing across her face while she waits for Tegan to answer.

“Too hard.” Tegan rubs her hands over her face and Michaela starts to fuss, her arms reaching out towards Tegan, her bottom lip trembling as tears well in her eyes. 

“Mami!” Michaela wails, upset that her mother was ignoring her and Tegan’s eyes shot open in shock as she looked at her wife who looked equally shocked. Michaela finally got the reaction she wanted and repeated herself “Mami!” 

Tegan reached over Annalise and grabbed her daughter in shock, before hugging her tight as tears spilled from her eyes and pressing kisses to her face and hair. “You said Mami, mija!” Tegan beamed proudly as she looked to Annalise who was smiling herself. 

“You’re such a smart princess.” Annalise pressed kisses to her daughters hands. 

“Mami, loves you so much.” Tegan pressed another tearful kiss to her daughter’s head, her heart overwhelmed with love and joy in a way she never would’ve thought possible a year ago. This little one made it all worth it.  _ Annalise _ made it worth fighting for, even the pain. Because without that, she doesn’t know if she’d really have been able to feel the true love she felt right then.

_ Fin. _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for bringing down the mood with this. I'll come back with something more upbeat and cheerful the next time. Again, really sorry for any mistakes in grammar and/or the Spanish translations.Thank you for the reviews and kudos if you leave them 💕


	3. Can't Bear to Let Her Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tegan and Annalise are getting ready to celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary, however Michaela's having a dilemma of her own. 
> 
> If you can't already tell I'm actually obsessed with this A/U, so you already know it's in the "Coming Home" universe ☺️ 
> 
> **WARNING!:**  
> There is a smidge of smut of in this, not much but it's definitely there 🙈🙊

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this a bit of good ol Tegalise love, and a little bit of of other favorite ship on this show that had it's potential ignored and then they decided to do what they did with her so yeah. I'm gonna continue this A/U until my feelings are no longer hurt about any of this LOL. Please read and review. I love and appreciate all the love and kudos 💕

It’s been  _ twenty _ beautiful years of marriage. 

Tegan can barely believe it herself. Sitting in her office and looking out at the skyline of Philadelphia, she smiled warmly as she leaned further back in her chair. Never one to  _ not _ steal her own moments of serenity amidst chaos now. She and Annalise started their own private firm when Michaela started going to school. Tegan had taken the time to be a stay at home mom after everything and needed the break and with the money they had saved and what Annalise made at C&G, they were able to take their own clients and open Price & Price, LLC. They were able to take on their own cases as they wished and allowed them to be available to whatever types of cases called to them.  _ This _ , Tegan though, was something she honestly almost gave up on seeing for herself. Being utterly happy and even more in love, with a  _ family _ . Regardless of how small it was, it was  _ hers _ . The years have been filled with love and loss and everything else in between, but out they came standing. 

_ Tegan _ comes out standing. 

She closes her eyes briefly when she feels the warmth cascade over her like it does when she thinks of Miguel and her parents. Knowing they are so proud of her and how far she’s come. Michaela’s boisterous laugh startles her and she’s brought back to the present. Michaela, along with Celestine, herself and Bonnie Winterbottom, they hired the woman when Tegan was in Texas the last two years to help out with the caseload. Tegan and the woman hit it off and became fast friends and here she was helping the rest of them finish the table decorations for Tegan and Annalise’s Platinum Wedding Anniversary this weekend. 

“Mami, can you please get TT ‘Stine’s centerpiece!” The teenager doubled over to the floor in laughter and the rest of the women couldn’t help but laugh at the weirdly shaped flower basket. “Todo esta torcido!” (“It’s all crooked!”) 

“Celestine, you can’t be serious.” Tegan tried her hardest to stifle her laughter as Michaela just fell over again, her laughter infectious and Tegan burst out laughing herself. She walked out from behind her desk, her bare feet pressing into the plush carpet beneath her, to examine Celestine’s handy work. 

“Damn it, Tegan and Tegan Jr!”” Celestine laughed before snatching the centerpiece from Tegan’s hand and shooting them both pointed looks playfully. “It’s a practice one!” 

“Yeah, yeah TT.” Michaela scoffed and a little miffed at the insinuation, a little too comfortable with her attitude as she finished her set of centerpieces. Tegan disapproved of her tone as of these last few weeks and cut the girl off with a quick raise of the eyebrow, thinking the teenager was getting a little too slick at the mouth. Michaela looked down at her centerpiece and said nothing else, obviously embarrassed and irritated at being scolded in front of company.

“Thank you guys for helping with this.” Tegan smiled, changing the subject quickly and the rest of the room nodded in acknowledgement of each woman deep in concentration at their tasks at hand. She rolled her eyes and laughed just as Frank Delfino, the firm’s Private Investigator, walked into the room. 

“Hey, Tegan. AP told me to swing by here and pick up decorations?” He looked around and saw the large, modern designed office covered from wall to wall in flowers and string light sets, boxes of crystal plates and cups. 

“Thanks Frank. Could you load up the boxes over in the corner? They’re finished already so you can take them back to the house.” The taller, scruffy looking man nodded in appreciation and started to grab boxes. 

“Mija, ayúdalo.” (“Help him.”) Michaela rolled her eyes, being pulled from her task when she heard Tegan kiss her teeth, the Latina’s head cocked to the side, left eyebrow raised with an expression on her face that told Michaela she might wanna cool her attitude. “¿Tienes un problema?” (“Do you have a problem?”)

“No, Mami.” Michaela mumbled as she got up from her spot and went to her mother’s office for the file cart to help Frank take the boxes to the car downstairs. 

~~~

It was starting to get kind of late and Tegan still had to confirm the menu with the caterers, confirm the liquor and bar menu with the bartender and finalize the playlist for the DJ. Her head was spinning and these are always the times she’s glad she has Celestine because without her, and just Annalise, she would’ve lost her mind by this point. Michaela finally makes her way back upstairs, her face sweaty and her curly hair pulled up into a bun on her head. 

“We’re done Mami. Do I have to help unload the car too? My arms burn.” Michaela pouted and Tegan rolled her eyes and chuckled at the teenager. 

“No we’ll leave that for your Mother. She doesn’t wanna help plan, she can help unpack.” This made Michaela grin and Tegan flashed her a brilliant smile. “Let’s go home. I’m starving and if your Mother doesn’t have dinner ready AGAIN, she’s gonna hear it.” 

Michaela’s eyes widened before shooting off a quick text to her Mother. Her phone pinging not a second later with a response. “Mom said she ordered Thai from the place you love near the park.” 

Tegan nodded to herself and smiled to herself when she realized Annalise remembered their conversation about her craving the restaurant's thai noodles last night. She humped in response and she rolled her eyes when she realized she could never have an attitude with her wife for long. The two had a nice thirty-five minute drive home outside of the city and they together started shutting the lights out of the office. “Mami…” Michaela started apprehensively. The tone her daughter’s voice took set Tegan on high alert and she switched the light in her office back on. 

“¿Que pasa?” (“What’s wrong?”) Tegan looked at her daughter with soft, but concerned eyes. The younger girl looked so much like Annalise right then. It’s how Tegan could tell she had something on her mind that was bothering her, instead of her being in pain or doing something wrong and hiding it. Her eyes downcast at her mother's shoulder, anywhere but Tegan’s eyes and she started to rub her palms on terry cloth shorts repeatedly. As if desperately trying to find something to fidget with while she attempted to find her words carefully. Tegan could see the wheels spinning behind her daughter's brown eyes as she worked out how she wanted to come to her Mother with her question. 

“Baby, you know you can talk to me about anything. What’s going on?” Tegan gently grabbed her daughter's hand and brought her over to the couch in the corner of her office. She uses one hand to push back her long faux locs that hung past her shoulders and never lets go of Michaela's hand with the other. Tegan sits down and faces her daughter with a soft expression motioning the seventeen year old to sit down next to her and Michaela complied. Kicking her sandals off and tucking her feet underneath herself and facing her mom, still not looking her in the eye for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Does this have anything to do with this attitude you’ve been walking around with recently?” Tegan started softly, letting the young girl know that she definitely noticed the change in her mood. 

Michaela nodded her head slowly at first, before steeling herself and looking her Mother in the eyes finally. Her mother’s expression softened the girl’s resolve and her bottom lip trembled, a habit she had since she was a baby, signaling she was about to cry. She bit her lip, trying to quell her tears for a moment and Tegan had gripped her hand tighter. “Ok, like so I know why I don’t have any siblings to talk about this with…” the girl started and she felt her Mother tense briefly and she looked into Tegan’s face, already knowing the expression she was going to see. Tegan’s face plastered with a tight lipped smile, the mention of Miguel always sent her stiff for a moment. 

“See, Mami? I knew it. I’m sorry. I know you hate it when I bring up Tío.” The girl started gripping her Mother’s hands with both hers, her apprehension from earlier lifted in concern for her Mother. 

Michaela was well aware of her conception. Her parents never lied to her about it. But that doesn’t mean it was never a touchy topic. They visited her uncle’s grave every year on his and Mami's birthday and the anniversary of his death. And Michaela has heard plenty of stories growing up from her parents about the good times they’ve all had and his and her mother’s adventures. She’s seen countless photographs and feels like she can see his face for real sometimes, especially when she looks at her Mami. But bringing up his death always set Tegan on edge, that’s  _ never _ changed. It’s gotten better over the years, but the reaction is still the same. 

“I don’t  _ hate _ you bringing up Miguel, mija.” Tegan sighed, she hated that her daughter always felt so apprehensive bringing up her late twin. They explained to her what happened when she was younger and Michaela had surprisingly understood that her birth and the aftermath was a time period of some of her best and some of her worst memories, for her Mother. While Tegan still very much felt the hurt deeply, she didn’t want her daughter to not know about her Uncle. 

“I didn’t bring it up to make you sad or guilt you or anything.” Michaela started to get nervous and her words started just falling out her mouth like vomit. “It’s just...I was saying that because I don’t have a sibling or anything to talk about this with and like the internet gives stupid advise and the only other person I can talk to about this is the person it’s about so like I’m really starting to loose it a bit, Mami.” 

“Ok. Ok. Ok…” Tegan rubbed her daughter's hand, clearly confused at Michaela’s nervous rambling. “One thought at a time, mama.” 

Michaela humphed in frustration at herself unable to get the words out.  _ This should be so much easier than this is.  _ She thought to herself. “Mami, when did you know you liked girls?” She finally spit out. 

Tegan sat back on the couch, stunned by the question. Her eyes wide and she blinked a few times, before shaking her head trying to startle herself out of shock. “I’m sorry...what?” Tegan leaned forward, her eyebrows still toward the ceiling as she tried to make sure the question she heard was the question she  _ heard _ .

Michaela pouted at having to repeat herself again. It was hard enough the first time. “How did you know you liked girls, Mami?” 

“I..what brought this on? Do you think-” Tegan herself started spouting questions, rapid fire at her daughter. 

“Mami,  _ por favor!” ( _ Mommy _ , please!”)  _ Michaela begged, her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry.” Tegan sighed, rolling her eyes at herself at her reaction. This is this exact  _ opposite _ reaction of what was needed right now. “I guess..” Tegan started, trying to think back to her childhood.  _ God, I'm getting old.  _ The Latina thought to herself. “Umm, there was this girl, I think I was like maybe...I don’t remember maybe in seventh grade at the time? Her name was Maya Richards, and I remember I thought she was so pretty.” Tegan smiled at her daughter and gripped her hand as she watched her daughter’s smile brighten at her mom reminiscing with her. 

“She had these long dark braids with these gold jewels in them that just glimmered in the sun and this big beautiful smile even with her braces. She was older than me, clearly I was two years younger than everyone in my class. I didn’t realize until I was maybe in ninth grade that I had actually had a crush on her.” 

“You just thought she was pretty?” Michaela asked with a look of confusion on her face, not  _ exactly _ the answer she was looking for. 

“ _ No _ , I didn’t just think she was pretty.” Tegan nudged Michaela’s leg with hers, smiling playfully. “I remember always wanting to be around her, getting to know her. Always being happy to see her smile and her sadness, it made me sad. Exactly how I feel about your mom.” She smiled, rubbing Michaela’s knee with her hand as the teenager rolled her eyes playfully at the statement before continuing. “I remember she started dating this real asshole my senior year of high school. I was graduating early and he was on the basketball team and he always cheated on her. And I was pissed because I couldn’t understand how someone could treat someone like her like that. So I told her one day after school. I just went off about how she just let herself be treated like that… and she kissed me.” Michaela’s eyes widened in shock and Tegan chuckled. “Yeah that was my reaction too.” 

“So what did you do?” Michaela asked, obviously intrigued in the story and Tegan laughed again. 

“What else would you do? I ran.” Michaela burst out laughing. 

“You did not!”   


“I did! What else was I supposed to do?” Tegan asked laughing back on the memory and pushing her daughter playfully as the girl erupted into another bout of loud laughter. “I was scared out of my mind. I had just kissed a girl, for the  _ first _ time. A girl I knew I had a crush on, but was too terrified to say anything so I darted.” 

Michaela’s laugh died down when she heard that. “I get that.” She sighed and Tegan gently reached over and lifted her daughter’s head to look her in the eyes. 

“You do?” 

Michaela nodded her head and spoke, so quietly Tegan had to strain to hear. “ _ Laurel _ .” 

Tegan sighed to herself and nodded her head in understanding. “Laurel kissed you?” She questioned, her eyes warm as she urged her daughter on. Warmed with the fact that her daughter had come to her with this, even if she was the last option. 

“I did.” Michaela mumbled softly and Tegan’s heart softened immediately. 

“Mija…” Tegan sat up and grabbed her daughter wrapping her in her arms and the younger girl settled herself in when she pressed a kiss to her daughter’s head, much like her own Mother did when they had this same conversation. “You know there’s  _ nothing _ wrong with how you feel, right?” Tegan stressed. “Laurel is your best friend. You two have been around each other since you were  _ five _ . It’s  _ ok _ to feel things towards her. Have you talked to her about it?” 

“I’ve been avoiding her.” Tegan sucked in a sharp breath. 

“Michaela…” She chided.

“I know, Mami ok? I panicked. She was talking about  _ stupid _ Wes and his  _ stupid _ smile and how  _ funny _ he was and I just... I got so angry… I just kissed her. Then I freaked out and spit out a ‘sorry’ before running out the door with my stuff and walked home.” 

Tegan chuckled and smiled at the younger girl. “Michaela, you have to talk to her. Imagine if she kissed you and just stopped talking to you. This is different, babygirl. This isn’t just  _ anyone  _ in your life.” 

“That’s the part that’s _freaking_ me out.” Michaela breathed out. 

“Laurel cares about you, honey. She’s not gonna hurt your feelings one way or the other. At least you know she’s not gonna freak out at the gay thing. You do have two mothers.” Tegan shook Michaela gently which made the girl laugh. 

“You’re right, Mami.” The smaller girl snuggled into her mother’s arms deeper, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Gracias.” (“Thank you.”)

“De nada, mija.” (“You’re welcome.”) She pressed another kiss to her daughter's head.  _ Anna was right. _

~~~~

_ Later that night.  _

Tegan was lotioning her legs in her robe when Annalise came out the bathroom after her shower wrapped in a towel, groaning in relief from the hot water on her neck and shoulders. Making Tegan pause her actions and stare, in obvious admiration of her wife. Annalise felt Tegan’s stare instantly lick her skin and she grinned devilishly, smiling at the look on her wife’s face. “You like what you see?” 

“I should, shouldn’t I?” Tegan smirked as Annalise started drying off and getting ready for bed herself. 

“Well, I don’t know…” The taller woman started, slipping on her sleep shirt and wrapped her hair. “You must not want me to be able to eat your pussy anymore after you made me unload all that crap with Frank. Everything on me is sore.” She complained and grabbed the lotion and removed Tegan’s robe, instantly starting on lotioning her wife’s back and shoulders. 

“Oh you and your daughter are SO full of it.” Tegan scoffed and turned her head to look back at Annalise. The older woman just gave her a grin in response before pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. 

“I love how she’s my daughter when she gets on  _ your _ nerves.”

Tegan rolled her eyes before getting up to wrap her faux locs in a bun to wrap her hair for the night. “Speaking of your daughter…” The smaller woman started. “We had an interesting conversation today.” 

Annalise made herself comfortable on her side of her bed before motioning Tegan to get in next to her. “Interesting how?” She asked with an eyebrow cocked in suspicion as Tegan crawled in the covers next to her and turned to face her wife, propping her head up on her elbow. “Got anything to do with her shitty attitude recently?” 

“Everything to do with it.” Tegan felt conflicted in if she should tell Annalise the complete story about her and Michaela’s conversation from earlier. She didn’t think Michaela would appreciate being outed, she sure as hell wouldn’t have back then. But, she also knew that Annalise had a tendency to be really harsh when she’s unprepared for big news she may not be a fan of. Tegan knew her wife, and she also knew that if there was anyone who was more protective of Michaela than she was, it was her wife.

“I can’t go into specifics…” Tegan started and heard Annalise huff loudly in annoyance. 

“Why even bring it up, Tea?” Her wife cut her off and Tegan sharply cut off her complaint with a soft hit to her ribs. 

“¡ _ Escucha _ !” (“ _ Listen _ !”) Tegan commanded harshly. “Listen, I’m not gonna go into specifics because it’s not my story to tell. Just know that if Michaela comes to you with something, just breath before you react.” She stated calmly and Annalise looked at her immediately in alarm.

“She’s not  _ pregnant _ is she?!” Annalise jumped up in alarm and Tegan rolled her eyes, shushing her wife harshly. 

“Will you _lower_ your voice!” Tegan hissed out through clenched teeth. “And she’s  _ not _ pregnant, Anna.”

“Oh thank god.” Annalise fell back to her spot on the bed with her hand clutched to her chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack.” 

Tegan chuckled and looked to the sky before turning over and turning her bedside lamp out. “Well now that your ultra dramatic reaction is out of the way, anything else coming your way should be easy to handle.”

Annalise turned over and shut her lamp off. “I’m not sure I’m liking how this is sounding, Tegan.” 

“Anna, I’ll let her come to you with it. Just remember to consider her feelings before you say anything.” Tegan stated by crawling over closer to her wife under the covers. The moonlight shining through the large windows in their bedroom, casting a light over the two. 

“I’m always going to consider her feelings, Tea.” The taller woman sighed, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman and she responded by entangling her legs with Annalise’s. 

“Good.” Tegan smiled, pressing a kiss to her wife’s neck. “Just remember that.” She smirked for a moment before straddling Annalise’s waist and removing her night shirt leaving her in nothing but her underwear, and her wife’s hands immediately went to take hold of her waist and the Latina leaned down and husked into her ear. “Now are we gonna spend the rest of the night talking about this or can I thank you for helping earlier?”

Annalise shook her head and Tegan smirked, disappearing underneath the covers for a moment. The older woman barely had enough time to register what happened and take a breath before she felt Tegan’s mouth waste no time ascending on her and her eyes fluttered in pleasure. 

“Tea…” Annalise gasped breathlessly and grabbed a hold of the pillow behind her head, her back arching when she felt Tegan’s tongue expertly make it’s way around her center, her fingers gently grazing her wife’s entrance. 

“Hmmm?” was all she heard innocently from underneath the covers and Annalise couldn’t help herself from peeking under the covers. If the sight of Tegan’s head bobbing between her legs wasn’t enough to send her over the edge. It would be the grin Tegan gives her when she pauses briefly, her chin glistening with Annalise and makes a show of the slowest lick of her lips. Humming softly to herself and closing her eyes briefly, as if savoring the flavor of  _ her _ before opening her dark eyes and continuing back on her mission to make her wife call out her name.

~~~~

_ Three Days Before the Anniversary Party _

Annalise and Michaela walked through the mall sipping smoothies and carrying shopping bags. They had spent the day shopping for outfits and presents for the party this weekend as Michaela gushed about the boots she got for her outfit. 

“Mama, these boots are gonna be so cute with the one piece I got!” Michaela sipped her smoothie and smiled, her face adorned with the new white cat eyed shaped sunglasses and Annalise grinned tight lipped, she wasn’t that big of a fan of the white ankle boots her daughter got but she was happy if she was. 

“I’m glad you like them, Princess.” Did Annalise spoil her only daughter? Yes, and anyone you asked would tell you that. Fact was Annalise didn’t care, she would strap the world to her back and cross an ocean of hot coals for Michaela. She would do anything to keep the smile on her baby’s face. 

They’re walking out to their car, when she hears Michaela call out. “Mama, look!” Annalise looked up and Michaela snapped a picture on her phone. 

Her daughter cracks up when she shows her the picture and Annalise couldn’t help but chuckle at her face in the photo as well. She sees Michaela put her sunglasses back on her face and starts typing away on her phone before her phone starts to ring, and the girl immediately sends it to voicemail. This action causes Annalise to raise her eyebrow in suspicion, noticing it was Laurel’s name that was flashing across her phone screen, again. The older woman thought that was odd, Michaela’s  _ never _ not answered a call from Laurel. And if the specific ringtone from her daughter’s phone  _ for _ Laurel told her anything, the other girl had been calling Michaela all day. 

“What’s going on?” Annalise asked finally when they finished putting the bags in the car and got in. “Laurel’s been calling you all day. You two have a fight?” Annalise looked over at the younger girl as she put on her seatbelt, frustratedly in silence. “Am I speaking to the car door or are you going to answer my question?” She started the car but stayed in the parking spot, growing more irritated with the younger girl’s silence. “We can sit here all night, Michaela. Don’t test me.”

“Can we not talk about it please, Mama?” Michaela whined defeatedly. “I was having a really good day.”

“A good day ignoring your best friend calling you all day?” Annalise asked skeptically and Michaela rolled her eyes. “Michaela Priiiiice….” The woman warned slowly, her patience wearing thin with her daughter’s attitude. 

“Ok,  _ yes _ we had a fight. Kind of. Now can we  _ please _ go home?” Michaela begged this time, her bottom lip doing her signature tremble and Annalise immediately froze. Her conversation with Tegan earlier this week rang in the back of her mind and her demeanor softened. 

“Babygirl, talk to me. What’s going on?” Annalise’s heart broke when she saw Michaela wipe the fat tears that dripped down her cheeks off. Before facing her mother with glassy red eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat and spoke softly but firmly. 

“Mama, when did you know you liked girls?” 

The question caused Annalise to blink several times before turning the car off and sitting back in her seat, after a moment she turned to face her daughter. Her mind running a million miles a minute, trying to put words together in a cohesive statement. She was not prepared for  _ this _ conversation. “That’s where this is coming from? You think you have feelings for  _ Laurel _ ?” 

Michaela looked to the cars’ floorboards, refusing to meet her mother’s eyes as she nodded her head wordlessly. The younger girl’s reluctance to look into her eyes made Annalise’s heart constrict painfully. She’s immediately bombarded with a flush of emotions. Sadness, that her daughter feels as lost and confused as she does now. She knows the feeling all too well. But also this other emotion that she never expected for, fear. Fear that the day’s she dreaded most were coming around the corner faster than Annalise wanted. The day Michaela didn’t need her or Tegan anymore. The day her baby would leave and start her own life on her own and leave her parents to an empty home and heart. Michaela and Tegan have been all Annalise has operated on for so long, she’s not sure she’s aware of how to operate without one of the two anymore. But also happiness, happy that Michaela could find and operate in her own truth.

Nonetheless, Annalise pushed her emotions to the side and grabbed her daughter’s knee comfortingly and answered her initial question. “It wasn’t until I was around nineteen or so.” She started. “I had kind of repressed my attraction to girls when I was younger and just focused on boys. It wasn’t until I met this one girl in undergrad Eve Rothlo. I couldn’t ignore it anymore and I had the freedom away from Grandma to find myself and I did. She ended up being my first girlfriend.” 

“But what did she make you feel like, Ma?” Michaela looked to her Mother finally and the expression in her eyes made Annalise reach across the center counsel and stroke her daughter’s face comfortingly.

“Safe. Beautiful. Loved and special.” Annalise smiled warmly. “Exactly like how-”

“Mami makes you feel.” The younger girl finished her sentence and smiled softly, wiping her eyes. 

“Right.” Annalise patted her daughter’s leg lovingly and started the car up to start pulling out of the parking lot. 

“I don’t care  _ who _ you love, Michaela. Me and your mother are the  _ last _ two people to judge you for love.” The woman started after a moment of silence as they merged on the highway to head back home. “We more than anyone else understand you can’t help who you love, it's just something that just  _ is _ .” She saw the younger girl nodding her head listening. “However what won’t be, is you dating before you’re twenty-five.”

Michaela scoffed and sat up straight in her seat. “Mama, you can’t be serious!” She contested. 

“Oh I’m  _ so _ serious.”

“Mama, in  _ what _ way is that fair?!” 

“Oh who gives a  _ damn _ if it’s fair.” Annalise released a scoff of her own, chuckling at her daughter’s question. “I’m your Mama.”

~~~

_ Two Days Till _

“Mama… TWENTY FIVE?!” Michaela hollered and Tegan was  _ this  _ close from putting her daughter AND her wife outside on the front step. 

“I swear to GOD! If I have to hear this argument for another day. I’m kicking you BOTH out of the house!” Tegan yelled at the top of her lungs and the argument between her wife and daughter immediately ceased. “Thank you!” 

Michaela stomped into the living room where Tegan was sitting on the couch, she was stringing lights together and watching a telenovela in the background. Tegan raised her eyebrow skeptically when she came face to face with her daughter, her brow furrowed with anger and she humphed irritably. 

“Mami, can you  _ PLEASE _ talk to her?” Michaela whined and put her hands on her hips causing her varsity cheerleading hoodie to rise up exposing her lower stomach. “Twenty five is  _ totally _ unreasonable. By that time most people my age will be married with like  _ two _ kids by that point.”

“I don’t care what  _ other _ people have.  _ You _ won’t have a girlfriend, boyfriend, joyfriend or whatever it is you wanna call them until you’re twenty-five.” 

“Mami, see?” Michaela whined and pouted, throwing her hand in her mother’s direction in the kitchen. 

“Annalise, can you please quit messing with her so I can get some work done?” Michaela beamed proudly. “You.” Tegan pointed to her daughter and referenced the table full of string lights. “Ven aquí y ayúdame.” (“Get over here and help me.”) 

“Ain’t nobody messing with anyone. I’m being serious.” Annalise states coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her leggings. “Dinner will be ready in thirty.” Tegan stops what she’s doing to reach up and press a kiss to Annalise’s lips when the taller woman walks over to her and sits next to her on the couch. 

“Mamiiiiii.” 

“Michaela,  _ please _ the whining!” Tegan stressed, her eyes rolling to the back of her head in annoyance at the grating noise it made on her nerves. Her head was starting to hurt at the non stop arguing between her wife and her daughter since they got home yesterday. 

“See? You can’t even be an adult about this? How can I expect you to be an adult about dating?” 

Tegan put her hand up to cut her daughter's response off that she knew was coming as she cut her eyes to her wife, her tone clipped equally annoyed with her. “ _ Annalise _ .” 

The two warring women immediately stopped all conversations at Tegan’s tone. 

“Now I understand you both are at odds about this, but must you give  _ me _ a migraine over it?” Tegan hit her leg in frustration with a closed fist. “I’m over here growing gray hairs by the minute finishing up  _ all _ these decorations and plans. And for what, you ask?  _ Our _ twentieth wedding anniversary, that’s coming up you know?”

“But yet, here I am. Sitting between my  _ forty-nine _ year old wife and  _ seventeen _ year old daughter going back and forth over when she can date!” Tegan stood up from her spot on the couch and pointed at her wife and daughter, her face starting to turn red in anger. “You two are ridiculous. Annalise, twenty-five is  _ crazy _ and you know it.” Annalise looked to the floor and Michaela whooped in celebration. 

“Thank you!” 

“And YOU, young lady!” Tegan reared her head in fury at her daughter. “Regardless of how  _ extreme _ you think your mother is. That is still your  _ mother _ and you will  _ respect _ her as such. “¿Estamos claros?” (“Are we clear?”)

“Yes, Mami.” Michaela looked at the floor as well and Tegan rolled her eyes at the both of them. Normally her daughter’s likeness and personality traits that reminded Tegan of her wife warmed her heart. Right now, it irritated Tegan to her core at how much alike the two really were.  _ So fucking stubborn _ .

“If you have an issue with something  _ either _ of us say you come to us respectfully and talk about it like an adult.” Tegan rolled her shoulders to release the tension she was holding and taking a deep breath to center herself again. A trick from her many yoga sessions that always seemed to help ease her emotions. “That goes for the both of you.”

“Now, I’m going to go make myself a nice glass of gin with lots of lime and when I come back. I’d like to see you both being useful, by either helping with these decorations or kindly getting out of my face.” The smaller woman rolled her eyes at the two sitting in the living room and silence and left to the kitchen, mumbling curses under her breath in Spanish all the way.

~~~~

_ Later that Night _

“I’m crazy. Really?” Annalise brought up again later that night and Tegan just stuffed her face into the pillow and yelled in frustration. 

“I’m never gonna hear the end of this conversation!”

“You really think I’m crazy for trying to protect our daughter?” Annalise sat up and cut her bedside lamp on. Tegan just kicked the bed in annoyance before sitting up and cutting on her own lamp. 

“I  _ definitely _ think you're crazy now. It’s literally one in the morning and this is bothering you  _ so _ much you will  _ not _ let me go to bed until you get it off your chest. So out with it.” She turned towards her wife and motioned for her to continue before crossing her arms across her chest. 

“I’m the crazy one for trying to keep her out of the clouds and in her books?”

“She’s  _ seventeen _ , Anna.” Tegan sighed and rolled her eyes. 

“Exactly my point, Tea. She  _ is _ seventeen. She should be focused on graduating high school and getting into college.”

“She’s a straight A student, was Junior Class President last year, Varsity Cheer Captain and tutors twice a week.” Tegan began counting off on her fingers. “She has legacy admission at Harvard AND Stanford and is top of her class right now. I’m sure she’s focused on graduating and getting into college, Annalise.” 

Annalise scoffed and Tegan raised an eyebrow and sat back, reading her wife’s body demeanor. It took less than a minute before Tegan smirked and chuckled to herself. “Nope, nuh uh. You’re bullshittin’ me. Tell me the truth.” 

Annalise kissed her teeth in annoyance at the smaller woman’s uncanny ability to be a human lie detector. “Do I think she’s too young to date, maybe.” She starts searching for the words she wants to say carefully. “But I  _ guess _ I’ll admit I’m more protecting myself than her.” 

“There it is.” Tegan smiled. “Listen, baby. I know you’re scared. You don’t want her to leave. I get it. But she’s growing up, she’s always gonna be  _ our _ baby but she’s not always going to be  _ a _ baby.”

“Like what happens when she doesn’t call anymore, Tea? Or gets so busy in life that we don’t see her all the time anymore? Or she moves away? I can’t get to her if something happens.” Annalise starts listing off and Tegan grabs her hands to silence her, scooting over closer to her and placing her legs across the taller woman’s lap. “I mean when I left, Mama had ‘Stine for a little while but after that…”

“Anna.. Anna..Anna.” Tegan sighs, she had this same conversation years ago it seems like with Dr. Grimes. “I wake up every single day with that fear. But what keeps me going is you.” She smiles brightly and reaches up to gently caress her wife’s face. “You, and knowing that we raised an amazing little girl into a beautiful young woman, who I’m  _ so _ proud of. Someone bright, loving and independent and  _ so _ strong. The strongest parts of both of us.” 

“Does she work my  _ last _ nerve, absolutely. Just like  _ you _ do.” They both chuckled. “But she’ll be ok. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.” Tegan pressed a soft kiss to her wife’s lips and smiled warmly, the freckles across her nose scrunched adorably and Annalise couldn’t help but press a kiss to them. 

“I just…” The taller woman started. “I’m having the hardest time trying to get used to the idea of having to let her go.” 

Tegan sighed, sadly. “Me too, baby. Me too.” She felt Annalise press a kiss to her forehead and she closed her eyes at the feeling of grounding she felt in her wife’s arms for a moment before she spoke up again. “But, if she’s anything like her Mama she won’t be straying too far for too long.” Tegan smiled and Annalise rolled her eyes, playfully pushing Tegan’s legs from across her lap. “Now will you  _ please _ go to bed?”

“I guess she can date.” Annalise sighed defeatedly. “You’re right, I mean you came out at seventeen and look how you turned out right?” Annalise smiled and turned over to her side of the bed and cut the lights out. 

Tegan smiled warmly to herself when she shut off her lamp as well and settled into bed when she felt Annalise’s arm stretch across her. She soon felt herself fall deep into a deep sleep when she snuggled closer into her wife’s warmth.  _ I did turn out alright.  _

~~~

_ One Day Till. _

Michaela stood outside the house she knew just as well as her own at this point. But this time instead of bounding up the steps to the side door like usual she’s rooted to her spot. Not really sure if this is a good idea anymore. When she had finally mustered up the courage to text Laurel back earlier, the other girl demanded they talk and she wasn’t going to be ignored anymore. Michaela couldn’t really say no if she wanted to. 

Her parents had helped, tremendously, surprisingly enough. Her Mama was another hill to climb but she had her Mami behind her. Her fears of being admonished for also liking women were stomped out instantly by her parents stressing there was nothing wrong with her and how she feels. Michaela was grateful to say the least.  _ Alright. Woman up, Price! _

The afternoon sun gleamed bright in her eyes as she fixed the sunglasses on her face and wiped her hands on her jean shorts, for some reason feeling nervous walking back into the Castillo house even though it’s technically only been a week.

Before the teenager could make it up to the door, she feels herself yanked back by her arm and she yelps loudly in fright before she realizes the familiar blue gray eyes glaring back at her, shushing her harshly. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” Michaela hisses harshly, slapping Laurel’s arm and the girl rolls her eyes in response. 

“Not here. Our spot.” The Latina bites out harshly and walks away to her backyard leaving Michaela to follow after her. The teenager sucked in a breath, partly because Laurel has  _ never _ been so cold to her and partly because she knew she deserved it. Quickly running behind the other girl she stops at the edge of the biggest tree in Laurel’s backyard and starts climbing the ladder to the treehouse at the top. 

Laurel’s dad had built the thing when they were seven and the two had spent many a sleepover and day in the treehouse over the years. The interior has not really changed much since they were young, a little bit on the smaller side now, but the two still found that this place had a lot of meaning to the two of them. 

When the two had settled into the treehouse it was silent for a moment before Laurel scoffed. 

“So you kiss me, ignore me and my phone calls for an entire week and then when you finally show up you have nothing to say?” Laurel spits out angrily. “What the  _ hell _ , Michaela?!”

“I was busy…” Michaela started to lie. 

“¡Mierda! ¡No me mientas!” (“Bullshit! Don’t lie to me!”) Laurel seethed and Michaela felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. 

“I’m sorry, ok!” Michaela pleaded. “I didn’t mean to-”

“More lies!” Laurel cut her off. “No more bullshit, Michaela. You don’t just  _ kiss _ your best friend and leave, then ignore their existence for a week when you didn’t  _ mean _ to.”

“I don’t know what you want from me!” Michaela pleaded, her eyes wet now with tears dripping down her face. 

“I want the  _ truth _ , Michaela. Stop trying to say you think I want you to say and say what YOU want to say.” Laurel crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the crying girl unphased expectantly. She’s had it with the back and forth with Michaela over the last year. “I mean it Michaela, or we don’t speak  _ anymore _ .”

“Laurel, I- Please I can’t lose you.” Michaela cried, her eyes wide in panic. 

“La verdad.” (“The truth.”) Laurel stated. 

Michaela looked up to the sky, trying to regulate her emotions and find the words. All the words she knew she wanted to say but was  _ terrified  _ of. She knew she had pushed Laurel too far, the common flirting over the last year and overly affectionate hugs and cuddling had built into this culmination of feelings and emotions that she could barely make of herself. All Michaela knew was that there was in no way shape or form could she live a life without Laurel Castillo in it. Laurel was there for her since her first day of Kindergarten and has never left her, there was no future of hers without Laurel where she was concerned. 

“Ok..” Michaela took a deep breath, steeling her nerves before speaking again with a trembling voice. “You’ve been my best friend my entire life, Laurel. I can’t imagine my life without you, you’ve always been there. And I’m sure I’d probably die without you there for the rest of it.” Michaela grabbed Laurel’s hand and interlaced their fingers like she’s seen her Mami do to her Mama so many times in her life. “I like you Laurel. That’s why I kissed you. You were talking about Wes and I got so angry and couldn’t handle it. I’m sorry I hur-”

Michaela’s apology was cut off by Laurel tenderly pressing her lips to hers and Michaela sighed into the kiss. They stayed like that for what felt like a lifetime, but was really only a few seconds before they parted. Both girls share a goofy smile on their face before breaking out into a fit of giggles. 

“I wouldn’t have gone out with Wes, you know that right?” Laurel grips Michaela’s hand tighter and grins when the smaller girl smiles back. 

“I know that  _ now _ .” Michaela stresses, rolling her eyes playfully and Laurel leans in and kisses her again, this time a few seconds longer than the first and pulls her in closer. 

The two sit in silence after that for a while, the treehouse filled only with the sounds of their breathing in sync. Laurel broke the silence and looked at Michaela with soft eyes. 

“What does this mean for us?” 

Michaela thought for a moment, her face muddled deep in thought before she nodded confidently. “I want you. We can work on the rest later.” 

Laurel smiled and couldn’t help but press a chaste kiss to Michaela’s knuckles. “Ok.” 

~~~~

_ Dinner that Night. _

Annalise ordered a pizza because no one felt like cooking and was sick of thinking about food by now and just enjoyed each other's company. She smiled when she noticed Michaela talking animatedly with her Mother like normal and nodded her head in observation as she sipped a glass of wine. 

“You’re in a better mood it looks like.” Tegan observed taking a sip of wine herself and Annalise clapped proudly in her head. Her wife, _ever_ the observer. 

“Yeah, well I had a good talk with Laurel today and we worked things out.” Michaela tried to hide her smile but she was never a good liar. 

This made Annalise sit up straight in her chair and shoot a look at her wife, she cut her a sharp look that told her to sit back and let her handle it and she reached over to the bottle on the wine on the table and refilled her glass. 

“So things are good between you guys?” Tegan asked casually, but Annalise knew she was probing for information. You push Michaela enough and she cracks, she may be able to fool people who don’t know her. But to the ones that do, you could always read the teenager like a book if you pushed the right buttons. 

“Yeah, Mami. Never better. Better than best, actually.” Michaela coughed suddenly and took a sip of her soda.  _ Got her. _

“Better than best, you say?” Tegan asks now, eyebrows raised. “How so?” Annalise started taking another long sip of wine. 

“Uhh, yeah. We kinda started dating.” 

Annalise spit her mouthful of wine across the table. 

“Mama!”

“Anna, really?!” 

“DATING?!” Annalise asked, wiping her mouth and shirt of the wine. 

“Anna…” Tegan warned, shooting her wife a sharp warning glare. “We talked about this.” 

“Fine!” Annalise humphed, throwing her hands up in defeat. “Whatever, you’re almost an adult. I got it.” 

“But,” Tegan stressed looking at her daughter seriously now. “We have ground rules.”

“We sure as hell do!” Annalise cut in and Tegan put up a warning finger in her wife’s direction to silence her. Michaela sat up straighter in her seat, clearly elated she got her way again. 

“Rules fine, shoot.” The teenager nodded enthusiastically. 

“Sleepovers and hanging out are now open door  _ only _ policy. Curfew is still midnight during the summers, holidays and on the weekends. During the school year? Ten on weeknights, no exceptions. Your grades are EXPECTED to stay the same. If we see them slipping, dating is off limits. You are EXPECTED to keep up with your extracurriculars, do you understand? I need a verbal yes.” Tegan stated, listing off the rules on her fingers and watching her daughter nod her head at each rule. 

“Yes ma'am.” The teenager shot up from her seat on the table and wrapped her Mother in a hug and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you, Mami.” She ran to Annalise and did the same. “Thank you, Mama. I promise I’ll follow every rule nothing will change.” 

Annalise tried her hardest to keep the grin off her face at how happy Michaela was. 

“Can I bring her as my date on Saturday?” The younger girl looked to her parents with expectant eyes. Tegan looked to Annalise and they stared back at each other for a few moments, seemingly having a conversation without words before Annalise spoke again. 

“Yeah, sure.” Michaela squealed and pressed another kiss to her Mother’s cheek. 

“Oh thank you thank you I love you guys so much! I’m gonna go call Laurel!” The girl runs over to her spot on the table and grabs her plate and cup to take into the kitchen before running upstairs, skipping two stairs at a time. 

Tegan shook her head and chuckled softly before she looked at her wife who was staring back at her with her arms crossed and was shaking her head, jokingly. “This is all  _ your _ fault.”

~~~~

_ Day of the Party _

Tegan couldn’t actually wait for it to  _ not _ be her wedding anniversary anymore. 

Not that she wasn’t madly in love with her wife and was more everyday but she just wanted this party over with. She was grateful these were only every ten years or she wasn’t sure she had a yearly one of these things. She’s been up since 6am, running around telling caterers where to go and showing the bartenders the basement to put all the liquor for when they needed it. By 10am, the DJ was there and setting up for the party that started at one. 

And that just happened to be the time her wife decided to emerge from their bedroom, along with their daughter. Who just bounced off stating that she was going to pick up Laurel so they could get ready.

Annalise smiled warmly smelling of fresh spearmint and pressed a kiss to Tegan’s lips lovingly, grinning brightly when Tegan rolled her eyes at first but then smiled and pressed another deeper kiss to the taller woman’s lips. “Happy Anniversary, my love.” Tegan couldn’t help the flush of red to her cheeks if she tried. Twenty years of marriage and Annalise  _ still _ makes her feel this way. They were pulled out of their bubble with the arrival of Bonnie, who’s dressed for the party already with Frank in tow, also dressed. 

“This one took forever to wake up but we’re here.” The soft spoken blonde hugged Tegan and Annalise before looking to Tegan for direction. “And you both should be getting dressed.” Bonnie ushered the two into the house. “You tell me what still needs to be done and you two get dressed. Where’s Michaela?” 

“She went to go pick up Laurel. She should be back any minute, she only lives a few minutes away.” Tegan checked the list on her phone before running off what still needed to be done with Bonnie. 

“Got it.” The smaller woman rapidly finished typing the list in her phone. “Now go get dressed. I’ll tell Michaela to get dressed once she gets here.” Bonnie looked over to already see Frank helping set up decorations without even being told before Annalise broke her out of her observation. 

“Can you make sure she remembers ‘ _ doors open’ _ ?” Annalise stresses before Tegan rolls her eyes and pushes her wife up the stairs.

~~~

Tegan is finishing pinning up her locs over her one shoulder when she feels her wife wrap her arms around her waist. Her senses are immediately enveloped in Annalise’s signature scent when she feels the taller woman press a kiss to her bare shoulder and she smiles brightly in the mirror. Annalise steps away to spin Tegan around to take a look at her, the smaller woman’s tan striped long sleeved sundress that tied around her waist and hung off her shoulders flared out with her spin and her matching strappy block heels completed the look. Annalise swooned. She never understood how she was lucky enough to even manage to have this woman want to spend the last twenty some odd years of their lives together. 

Tegan smiled when she saw Annalise looking her over and blushed. Her wife’s unabashed looks of admiration and want never failed to make the Latina dizzy at times with how much she felt at any one time for Annalise. Annalise was dressed in a cream colored sleeveless dress and tan flats and Tegan couldn’t help but take a once over of her wife as well. Her mind briefly thought of how much time they had to be downstairs. 

“Don’t even think about it. I won’t have time to give you your gift.” Annalise smiled and reached behind her and pulled out a small velvet gift box and ushering Tegan to sit on the side of the bed. Tegan’s smile brightened the entire room and Annalise sat next to her and handed her the box. “I don’t have some sweet story to tell you with this. I think you’ll understand when you open it.” 

Tegan opened the box and gasped at it’s contents inside. Her eyes instantly glazed over in tears when she pulled the gold necklace out of the box. It was a simple chain gold necklace with a solid gold crossbar, however on the bar sat four small jewels; the first Emerald, the second Aquamarine, third, a purple Tourmaline and the last another Emerald. Tegan sat back blinking for a moment before she made the connection, their  _ birthstones _ . And another Emerald one for  _ Miguel _ ...and the tears in her eyes spilled over in fat droplets. “Anna…” she gasped out breathlessly. 

“I couldn’t do  _ any _ of this without you, Tea. I love you. Happy Anniversary, baby.” Tegan pressed several teary kisses to her lips and wrapped her arms around her neck hugging her tightly before Annalise helped her clasp the necklace around her neck, and Tegan pressed her fingers to it gently when it rested right above her heart. Her eyes filled with tears again and she couldn't not kiss Annalise again. “Till forever.”

“Till forever.” Tegan smiled, remembering the words they said to each other on their wedding day and she grinned brightly again. After a moment, Tegan got up and went over to their shared walk in closet and disappeared for a moment. When the smaller woman walked out she had an envelope with a bow placed on the back as a seal.

“I guess I should give you your present too.” Tegan smiled, still wiping some of the tears from her eyes and urging her wife to open the envelope. “Open it!” 

Annalise opened the envelope and saw that inside it contained legal documents. Her eyes shot up in alarm for a moment before she saw her wife’s eager reaction urging her to read on and she went back to skimming over the paperwork before she gasped when she realized what they were. 

“Me and Michaela had a long talk and we realized that while your last name was  _ unofficially _ part of her name, we  _ never _ actually had it changed with social security. So a couple months ago we went downtown and filed the paperwork to have it changed. She’s now, Michaela  _ Harkness _ -Price, as of last month.”

Annalise sat back in shock for a few moments, looking back and forth between the paperwork she held in her hands and her grinning wife when she felt hot tears stinging the back of her eyes. Annalise  _ never _ paid attention to Michaela’s name or the fact that her maiden name was absent from her daughters. She was married to Tegan, her last name was Price as well and her name was listed on Michaela’s birth certificate right next to Tegan’s. As far as Annalise was concerned, she didn’t need any more confirmation that Michaela was her daughter. But Tegan changing Michaela’s name to include her meant more than she thought it would. Annalise got up and wrapped her wife in a tight hug for a moment before kissing her deeply, gently pushing a loc back from her face when they separated. 

“Thank you baby.” Annalise smiled warmly when Tegan reached up and wiped the few tears that escaped from the taller woman’s cheeks. Tegan, in heels, is actually able to look her wife in the eyes and pressed her lips to her deeply again.

“Feliz aniversario, mi amor.” (“Happy Anniversary, my love.”)

~~~

Another thing Annalise hated about parties and events outside of planning is when they’re about her in any way shape or form. 

Like this one, her mouth hurts from the countless smiles she’s had to put on for pictures. They at least had an open bar, which she needed because her seventeen year old daughter has been wrapped in the arms of one Laurel Castillo  _ all _ afternoon and it’s taken Tegan on four separate occasions to keep her from going over there and putting a ruler between the two of them. 

Tegan walks over to her lazily smiling from who knows  _ how _ many glasses of champagne at this point and it’s bright enough for her to be wearing sunglasses in the afternoon sun but Tegan is still squinting adorably. The sun makes the freckles on her nose more prominent and brings out the rest in her cheeks and down her shoulders to her chest. “Leave her alone, Anna. Look how  _ happy _ she is.” Tegan smiled and tugged her wife’s arm. 

Annalise grumbled, looking at their daughter laughing loudly wearing a bright smile and dressed in a blue one piece pantsuit with purple lions printed on it paired with the white ankle boots she bought her a few days earlier as Laurel spun her around on the dancefloor. 

“Laurel’s hands are a bit too low for my liking.” 

“Oh, stop come dance with me.” Tegan hushed her wife and dragged her out to the dance floor. 

The DJ continued to spin and everyone was full after eating and on the dance floor having a good time. Annalise’s grin couldn’t be held back if she tried when she spun Tegan on the dance floor and the laugh that escaped the smaller woman could extend another ten years to her own life. She looked around and took in her surroundings all her friends and family smiling and dancing and laughing. 

Things were good. 

Better than good, better than she could’ve ever imagined. 

Annalise is pulled out of her mind when she hears whoops and laughter from her daughter and Laurel and she realizes they’ve danced right into each other on the dance floor. When they decide to go get some water from the dinner tables set up in the back. The way her heart soars watching the love of her life and the life they created out of the most love that could probably  _ ever _ be felt in the world was something Annalise would never be tired of feeling. So when the two doubled over in laughter at something the other said, Annalise couldn’t help but pull out her phone and snap a photo. When she looked back at the picture she couldn’t help but notice that it reflected exactly what she felt herself when she saw her wife and daughter...  _ light _ . Radiant, brillant, light. 

  
  


  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is some more Tegalise and my babies Laurela. I know feelings on Michaela are.... lukewarm to be polite. But I love her, even if I'm upset with some of her decisions but regardless lol. 
> 
> This is my own special A/U so hopefully ya'll love her in this and what I'm doing with her. I appreciate y'all for being so patient as I worked through a snag trying to end this. So sorry if this ended so abruptly and apologies for all Spanish translations. Please let me know if y'all know of any better translators online I can use, I would desperately appreciate it :)


	4. A Bunch of Firsts and Some In-Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Maybe I just needed some help getting to know you.” Tegan smirked, raising her eyebrow before taking a sip of her soda and it was her turn for her stomach to flutter at the look Annalise gave her. Part One of Two.
> 
> Of course this is in the "Coming Home" Universe. I guess I pretty much should just resign the fact that I'll be writing in this universe in here ahah. I love it and them so much 🥰
> 
> **Warning: ⚠️ There IS smut 😈

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update on this. I really appreciate all the reviews and kudos I'm still getting on this. I didn't realize the amount of ground I wanted to cover with these two until I started writing and realized that this was gonna be a lot longer than I initially thought. So this will be a two parter. I caught myself trying to write both chapters completely together so I can post them together but then I fell into a rut in part two which is about 75-80% complete at this point and figured it was kinda lame to hold on to a finished chapter. SO you guys enjoy. I'm so sorry again 💜

**_PART ONE_ **

Tegan remembers the day she first met Annalise. 

Remembers it vividly to be completely honest, doesn’t think she would ever forget it. It was the first day of her Legal Ethics class, and like usual she was used to being the youngest in the room by that point. The honor her early high school and undergrad graduation bought her and it landed her here. In the hardest professor of her already advanced Law programs, classes. 

Dr. Carolyn Grant was known to be no bullshit and brutally honest. It was what Tegan preferred honestly, not to mention that she looked up to the woman. Her excellence in Criminal Law was profound and well known, and there was a waiting list _two_ semesters long to get into her class once she switched to teaching Ethics. And she was _not_ waiting two semesters to take Dr. Grant’s class. So Tegan turned on her charm and finessed her way into the class by way of Ashley in the Registrar’s office. She’s not proud of it and neither was Ashley if the look on her face once they crossed paths on campus afterward had anything to prove. But the smaller woman was never shy about her ambition for power and success. She wanted change and no one was making any moves towards it, so obviously she came to the determination that she would have to make the changes she wanted to see herself. 

Getting settled into class a few minutes early she found a decent spot in the large lecture hall and pulled out her laptop. Dr. Grant was known to be early if not prompt, and to immediately start a lecture. Tegan wasn’t going to pass up any opportunity to miss any part of any of Dr. Grant’s lectures. More students started to trickle in the closer it got to the start of class when Dr. Grant made her way into the classroom and introduced herself. She wasn’t any taller than Tegan but her persona made her larger than life, shrouding her in a shadow twice her size that no one could ignore. 

“Alright, settle down I’m going to get started. You guys already know, I’m Dr. Grant and this is Legal Ethics for the Advanced 2L Program. If you are not Advanced, I suggest you leave now.” She stood in front of the class dressed in a rich merlot colored Armani dress and cream colored pumps that made Tegan’s eyes light up. _The woman could dress._

“I’m going to do something a little different and bring in some help as well. So let me introduce our Student Teaching Assistant, Ms. Annalise Harkness. She’s a law student here as well but is helping me out in lieu of taking my final.” Dr. Grant smiled brightly when the sound of heels on the linoleum tile floors caused Tegan’s and everyone else in the class's heads to whip in the direction of the sound. 

Tegan blinked, once, twice, three times before she cleared her throat under the guise of a cough. Annalise was _breathtaking_ . The taller woman strutted into the classroom and set her own bag down, dressed in a sharp navy colored pantsuit and cream pumps. She exuded power and confidence that drew the Latina in like a moth to a flame. She tried her hardest to not gawk at the woman in front of the class, and shifted in her seat uncomfortably trying to not seem so flustered by her student teacher. Annalise’s smile was bright and lit up the entire room and Tegan internally _swooned_ as she introduced herself to the class. Her voice calming and low timbred but firm as she went over her expectations of the class and how she’d be helping. Their eyes locked briefly when Annalise looked at the class in confirmation of the expectations and Tegan tensed momentarily eyes wide before nodding her head eagerly. The older woman gave a nervous smile in confusion at the younger woman’s reaction before looking to the rest of the classroom for confirmation. Tegan sighed in frustration and dropped her head to her desk. 

This was going to be the most _difficult_ semester of school she’s _ever_ had. 

~~~

It was a week before their first exam of class when Annalise finally smiled her way. 

Tegan swore her heart skipped two beats just listening to the woman speak sometimes and she found it hard to focus on the lecture and was glad she did her week’s reading ahead of time. This week’s topic was conflict of interest and the Latina was pulled out of her daydream when she heard the rather loud and obnoxious opinion of the class blowhard Noah Marsh. 

“All I’m saying is, Annalise.” The boy started, a thick New Jersey accent boomed across the room as he spoke. “I should be able to handle the legalities of my Father’s Fortune 500 Company.”

“And where exactly does it say that is a thing that can be done?” Tegan rears her head around and raises her eyebrow skeptically. “Especially if said Fortune 500 company is dealing in law making or lobbying on behalf of lawmakers?” 

“If my Father waives his right to conflict of interest-” Noah stammers clearly not expecting Tegan to question his statement. 

“The state of California has laws against waivers in certain instances, Noah. It’s not all encompassing.”

“Exactly, Miss Price.” Annalise smiles warmly and Tegan fights hard to keep the blush from rushing to her cheeks. “Mr. Marsh, I would re-examine the chapter on Conflict of Interest before the test Thursday. I’ll see the rest of you for the test. Be on time! Dismissed.”

The class steadily packed up and made their way out as Tegan took her time packing up, watching Annalise pack up her things. Tegan let out a deep breath to steady her nerves before walking up to Annalise, gripping the handle of her large purse the weight of her laptop heavy in her hands now.

“Ms. Harkness?” Tegan called out timidly, trying to stop the shake in her voice. 

“Please, Tegan. How many times do I have to tell ya’ll it’s Annalise.” Annalise smiled warmly at the shorter girl and was pleasantly surprised at how bashful she looked up at her. She felt her heart speed up and she knew she needed to _continue_ to steer clear from her. 

“I’m sorry, _Annalise_ .” Tegan emphasised the woman’s name and smiled, smoothing a fly away curl out of her peripheral. “I was wondering if you had any study guides or something for the test Thursday. I’m having a difficult time trying to get my head around lawyer- client confidentiality and…” _She lied._

Annalise looked up at the Latina curiously at the mention of needing help. _She’s never mentioned needing help before._ “So… you’re asking if I have a study guide or would help you study for the exam?” 

“Yeah!” Tegan nodded eagerly at first and then coughed nervously before finishing. “I mean, I don’t know what you have planned or if you even have anything to help.” 

“I mean I thought Dr. Grant was pretty clear in what would be on the first test.” Annalise looked over at Tegan pointedly and had to fight the laugh at the girl’s reaction. 

This is _not_ how Tegan expected it to go. But then again, when did it _ever_ go smoothly with the women she was _actually_ interested in? “I-I mean yeah s-she was.” She internally rolled her eyes to herself. Now she was _stuttering_? 

Annalise couldn’t not chuckle at Tegan’s reaction. She couldn’t deny the fact that by this point she loved to get the girl flustered and how her stomach swayed every time she’d speak. She played it cool but Annalise noticed every move Tegan made, whether the girl noticed it or not. From the first day of class, she found it hard to focus on what she was supposed to be doing in class, feeling the woman’s eyes boring into her from across the room. It was a difficult part to play, her ‘teacher’ but also would be struck where she stood for lying if someone asked about her attraction to the woman. She found herself enamored with the flush of freckles that crossed the woman’s cheeks, more specifically the one on the tip of her nose. How it furrowed when the woman was deep in thought or crinkled delightedly when her face lit up in a laugh. And as hard as she tried it was difficult to not want to get to know the woman in front of her. 

“I mean, I guess I can muster up something for a study session really quick…” Annalise drew out and smirked when she saw Tegan’s eye’s light up briefly behind a stoic face. “You wanna meet in the library around seven tomorrow?”

“Yeah, that would be great.” Tegan's smile reached across her entire face and Annalise knew right then that she would do anything the woman asked her to to keep that smile on her face. 

~~~

They sat across from each other in a study corner in the off hand section of Stanford’s Law Library, scarfing down pizzas and cokes as Annalise went over notes and slides from the lectures that Dr. Grant told the class would be covered on the test. Tegan sat back just letting Annalise read and ask questions based on what she just had gone over. She knew this information already, could practically recite it verbatim off the top of her head. Times like these when her photographic memory always came in handy, so she could just stare at Annalise. The way she smiled. The way her brow furrowed in thought or how she would chew the tip of her pen when she was thinking of the right words to say. Or how the taller woman would gaze at her expectantly when she asked a question. Everything about Annalise, Tegan found adorable and downright attractive. And Tegan wanted nothing more than to have Annalise stare at her all the time. A loud sound of a throat clearing, brought Tegan out of her fantasy.

“Ok, Price. So cut the bullshit.” Annalise sat back in her chair after she finished the last slide from the class lecture and she laughed to herself at Tegan’s reaction to her brass statement. 

“Aht, aht. If I can call you Annalise. You have to call me Tegan. That’s the deal.” Tegan grinned before biting into her own slice of pizza as the taller woman rolled her eyes in response. 

“Alright, _Tegan_.” Annalise emphasized the woman’s name causing her to roll her eyes in response making her laugh to herself. “I know you don’t need help. You’ve answered all these questions in class before and gotten hundreds on all the quizzes so far. Roll call has your birthday next to your name so I know you’re the youngest in the class and judging by the fact you're in an Advanced track Law Program. I can probably assume I’m correct in my assertion that you’re some type of girl genius who graduated early and will be a lawyer before most people her age would even be entering grad school.” Annalise looked pointedly at Tegan who was trying her hardest to save face at being called out so blatantly. 

“So because I got hundreds on some quizzes and am allegedly a ‘girl genius’, I don’t need help?” The Latina raised her eyebrow playfully and this time Annalise felt the familiar heat rush to her cheeks and settle deep in her gut. 

“Tell me I’m wrong about any of it.” Annalise argued playfully back. She was enjoying this semi flirty banter, knowing it could lead down a slippery slope that she wasn’t too sure she cared about going down anymore, the more time she spent with the woman in front of her. There was something _different_ about Tegan. Annalise couldn’t put her finger on it, all she knew is that she was almost desperate to find out.

“Girl genius is a bit much, but graduating early was spot on.” Tegan smiled for a moment before the two busted out laughing. “I’m a savant, what can I say.” She smiled smugly. 

The two laughed again for a moment before silence enveloped them. 

“Maybe I just needed some help getting to know you.” Tegan smirked, raising her eyebrow before taking a sip of her soda and it was her turn for her stomach to flutter at the look Annalise gave her. 

~~~~

Their study sessions had turned into them just hanging out and talking more than studying and the attraction between the two got harder to deny. 

Tegan was hanging out at Annalise’s grad student’s apartment complex a couple weeks later. It was further off campus so that there was no chance of anyone being suspicious of the amount of time the two were spending together. 

Tegan had just finished her midterm for their class and had come to Annnalise’s to celebrate with a couple large bottles of cheap red wine. And the two were almost through the first bottle asking each other questions.

“So tell me something about Tegan I don’t already know from school.” Annalise smiled lazily, the wine hazing over her eyesight. 

“Something about Tegan you don’t already know.” Tegan put her finger to her chin, deep in thought. There were a few things Annalise didn’t know about Tegan. She figured she’d ease her way into it. “Umm, I’m a nerd.” 

“Please, you blew off the last study group session to binge watch the last season of Game of Thrones. Something I already _don’t_ know. Next.” Annalise interrupted. 

“I’m a twin.” 

“You never said you were a twin!”

“You asked in class if we had siblings. We never spoke on specifics, you only told us about Celestine for the lesson and like when else have we gotten to talk like this outside of class?” 

“Ok, I’ll give you that. But like identical?”

“No, fraternal. He’s five minutes older, Miguel. Although we do favor each other.” Tegan searches through her phone to pull up a picture of her and Miguel. 

“Ya’ll look like you could be identical twins and he’s so much _taller_ than you!” Annalise laughed before handing Tegan her phone back. “Probably look just like your momma.” Annalise laughed again before noticing the somber look that fell upon Tegan’s face. 

“We looked like whoever we stood next to.” She smiled sadly. “But they’ve both passed on.”

Annalise’s face dropped instantly. “I’m so sorry, Tegan. I didn’t know.”

“No. It’s fine. It hurts less with time. Daddy passed when we were eleven. Mami, a little after we turned eighteen.” Tegan took a long sip of wine and smiled to change the mood. “But enough of the sad stuff.” 

She leaned down to refill her glass. “Something else you don’t know about me from class..” She sat back in thought. _It’s now or never._ “I’m gay.”

Annalise raised her eyebrows in surprise at this information. “Really?” She felt her heart stammer when Tegan chuckled and took another sip of wine. This act however struck Annalise more vividly knowing this new information. She knew she shouldn’t feel hopeful at this insight, but she couldn’t help it. 

“Yeah, really.” The Latina smiled, unashamed in her truth and Annalise couldn’t be more attracted to her if she tried. 

“Well... I’m bi.” Annalise took another sip of wine at Tegan’s intrigued look, her eyebrow raising and a slight smirk falling to her face. “So I guess we learned some new stuff about each other today.” Annalise clinked her glass to Tegan’s and both women took a long sip of wine looking at each other over the rim of their wine glasses. This new revelation was welcome information to the _both_ of them.

~~~

It was the Post Midterm-palooza party being hosted by Stanford’s chapter of Gamma Delta Zeta when they kissed for the first time. 

Tegan got the text invite for the party from her roommate, Michelle, and she immediately forwarded the flyer to Annalise who rolled her eyes but reluctantly agreed to accompany the Latina. They left each other the night before kinda in this limbo of ‘will-we-won’t-we’ and Annalise knew the closer she got to Tegan the harder it was going to be to not develop feelings. But if she was really being honest with herself, that ship has already sailed. As hard as she attempted to fight it, it was getting harder and harder. She desperately needed to find some type of reprieve before things went further, because Annalise wasn’t sure that she could fight the pull to Tegan much longer. 

By the time they got there it was close to 11 o’clock and the place was packed, mainly with drunken undergrads grinding on each other and the two women made their way to the kitchen to get more drinks. 

They’re throwing back drinks and laughing at the other students acting an ass when the mood changes. They’re both drunk by this point and Tegan feels warm all over and she can’t tell if the punch they're drinking or being around Annalise when she smiles all lazily and laughs. She’s feeling bold and _lucky_ for once and just when she’s about to ask Annalise to dance she was interrupted by this sleazy drunk girl pressing up against her. 

Annalise was taken completely off guard by the girl who stepped to her. Her long dark hair flowed down her back and her thin frame towered over Annalise by a few inches. She _was_ attractive, her skin smooth and the color of chestnut. She swayed slightly on her feet as she leaned down to whisper into Annalise’s ear. 

“I’ve been watching you from across the room all night and I _couldn’t_ leave without asking you to dance first.” The girl smiled flirty before introducing herself, extending her right hand in greeting. “Maxine, but _you_ can call me Max.” 

Annalise smiled back flirtatiously and Tegan felt her face flush hot with jealousy, keeping her rage boiling under as she watched the scene develop in front of her. _No_ , she didn’t have any claim to Annalise, but watching her openly flirt back with someone in _front_ of her, lit the fuse to her temper. The liquor in her system slowly lit an internal molotov. 

“Annalise.” The taller woman shook her hand and Tegan drained the rest of her drink to keep herself from punching the girl in the chest across the room. 

“Come dance with me, Annalise?” Max smiled as Annalise took her hand and led the two out to the dance floor. The room with Tegan was starting to get overwhelming the more she drank, it was getting harder and harder to keep her hands to herself. So the only logical conclusion was to try and distract herself, Maxine was perfect timing.

“I’ll be right back, Tegan.” Annalise shot over her shoulder trying her hardest to fight the urge to look back as she felt Tegan’s eyes burn in the back of her skull. Tegan rolled her eyes and went to refill her drink. She and Max locked eyes briefly and the smug eye wink the woman gave her made her want to claw her eyes out. Taking another long drink she chided herself at her reaction. She knew she liked Annalise, but Tegan wasn’t even sure she herself knew _how_ much she liked Annalise until now. Jealousy burned through her veins like fire watching the two women on the dance floor. The smile that kept Tegan up at night being put on her face by someone else, was something that tore at her stomach and hearing her laugh ring out over the loud stereo system made the remainders twist painfully. Anger quickly took way to jealousy, she refused to sit back and watch some grad school bitch swing in and push up on what was in her mind, hers. _And for the bitch to smirk at her like she knew she was being messy?_

She drained the rest of her cup and felt all the blood rush to her feet at once, before she knew it her feet had taken her through the dance floor and she stopped right next to the two off in the far corner. Filled to the brim with a mix of jealousy, rage and more cups of that fruity ass vodka drink than she could count, she gripped Annalise’s arm tightly and yanked her away from her grinding session with Maxine startling both women. The smaller Latina met Max’s fury filled gaze with her own look of smugness, her left eyebrow raising in challenge to her opponent. 

“Tegan, what’s wrong with you? Wha-” Annalise’s line of questioning was cut off when Tegan stepped directly into her space and pressed her lips to her passionately. She reaches up and pulls Annalise closer to her as she deepens the kiss momentarily before her eyes shoot open and she jumps back as if Annalise shocked her. By this point Max has given up and walked off somewhere and the two women stand off in the corner of the dance floor staring at each other in shock. 

“I-I’m so sorry, Annalise. I-I shouldn’t have done that.” Tegan stammers out quickly before hurriedly leaving the room, turning sharply on her heel and high tailing it out the front door of the Sorority House. 

Annalise stares at the spot Tegan once stood in complete shock for a moment before she realizes that Tegan is drunk and left by herself. She runs out the room looking around frantically for a moment before she sees Tegan’s form rushing down the street about four houses down. She rushes down the steps and pushes through the drunk kids on the front lawn before running after her. 

“Tegan!” Annalise calls out but Tegan keeps on walking. She almost resents the fact that she’s having to run after her. _If she wasn’t so damn cute, I’d be able to ignore this and go home._ “Tegan! Stop!” She finally catches up to her and grabs the woman’s arm to spin her around to look at her, not at all prepared for the tear streaked face that looks back at her. 

“It’s fine Annalise, ok? It was stupid. I was drunk. It didn’t mean anything.” Tegan wiped at the fresh tears falling from her face, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. “We don’t ever have to talk about it again.” 

“Tegan, I-” Annalise started looking at the smaller woman fondly. 

“It’s fine really, Annalise. You don’t have to let me down easy.” 

Annalise laughed warmly. “My god, woman shut up.” Tegan looked at her in confusion, her eyebrow raising skeptically. A habit Annalise had noticed was a signature of Latina. The look made Annalise’s heart flutter madly in her chest and she knew then that there was no looking back as far as she was concerned. She stepped closer to Tegan and felt the smaller woman’s breath hitch when she entered her personal space, reaching down gently she brought her hand up alongside Tegan’s neck and pressed her lips against hers again. They stayed like that for a moment before Tegan grabbed hold of Annalise’s hips, pressing their torsos together closer as Annalise used both hands to deepen their kiss. 

They found a rhythm almost instantly and Tegan instantly took control of the kiss, running her tongue along Annalise’s bottom lip asking for access. The taller woman swore she felt time stop and sighed when she felt Tegan deepen their kiss. Their tongues clashing for dominance, that the smaller woman quickly took and Annalise was more than surprised with the fact that she was ok letting her do it. They only separated when oxygen became necessary and laughed after a moment of gathering their breath. 

Annalise wouldn’t admit it until years later, but she’s pretty sure _that_ was the day she fell for Tegan Price and hasn’t looked back since. 

~~~

It was only the next weekend when Tegan took Annalise on their first date. 

And it was off to an _awful_ start. Tegan had the entire night planned. It was going to start off with a stroll through the Botanical Gardens right as the sun was setting and they turned on the lights. That was until some asshole threw his lit cigarette into the bushes and it set one of the displays on fire. 

Which was fine, Tegan thought. They could just head over to the restaurant she made reservations for a bit early and be there in time for their reservations. Until a major traffic accident had them sitting in traffic for an hour, giving them less than an hour to get across town. 

Tegan was gripping the wheel of her car in annoyance, trying her hardest not to show her frustration at how this entire night was getting off to an awful start. She rolled her eyes to herself. She always found a way to mess things up. Annalise continued to smile and laugh the entire time. Her bright laugh making it harder for Tegan to be angry for long when Annalise cracking jokes about the irony of the events of the Gardens, soon found Tegan laughing along and making jokes herself when the sound of sirens and red and blue lights in her rearview caused her to curse loudly as she pulled over on the side of the highway. 

The ticket Tegan got for crossing lanes without a signal just infuriated her even more, her left leg bouncing in anger and white knuckle gripped the steering wheel driving away shoving the ticket in her purse and cursing and ranting in Spanish. 

Getting to the restaurant with fifteen minutes till their reservation time, Tegan sighed with a breath of relief as she gripped Annalise’s hand tightly as they walked into the restaurant. Their fingers intertwined and Annalise smiling that smile at her made her stomach lurch and she couldn’t help but press a kiss to the taller woman’s fingers gently before she walked up to the hostess. 

It was less than two minutes later when she heard Tegan’s voice firmly over the music playing in the restaurant. Annalise walked over to her date and the hostess and placed her hand on the small of Tegan’s back, feeling the woman instantly uncoil the tension she was holding at the presence of Annalise near her. 

The restaurant _lost_ their reservation, and Tegan was furious. The wait time by this point for walk-ins were about an hour and a half. The smaller Latina’s face flushed red and her fist clenched tightly by her side. She was trying her hardest not to break out into tears in front of Annalise. _How is it that everything is falling apart?_ She had planned this for days in advance once Annalise said yes to a date with her. She had to make sure it was perfect, and it was anything but. 

Annalise felt the fury and heat radiating off of Tegan and knew she was close to blowing a gasket on the poor woman. Although she could understand why Tegan was furious. The smaller woman had told her that she had the entire night planned and Annalise would be pissed too if she had plans and they all were falling through. But she couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation, how the universe was so actively trying to work against them but how she felt never changed. Annalise in an odd way, loved this. Tegan angry and under pressure was turning her on in ways she wasn’t really expecting. It caught her off guard watching the smaller woman puff out her chest and lay into the hostess for losing their reservation and asking for their manager. She’s pointing and stabbing the booth with her finger and right as Tegan’s leaning forward into the woman’s face, Annalise steps in. Pulling Tegan by her arm and suggesting they just go somewhere else and Tegan relents, shooting another sharp glare at the hostess and following Annalise out the door as the taller woman intertwines their fingers again. 

Once they get back into the car Annalise starts to chuckle again until she looks over at Tegan and realizes she’s the only one laughing. The Latina got in the car in a huff and slammed her head back against the driver seat, her eyes closed as she tried to regulate her breathing. 

“Hey, Hey. It’s ok, Tea.” Annalise grabbed her hands and forced her to look her in the eyes. Tegan rolled her eyes in an attempt to keep the tears that glazed her eyes from spilling over her cheeks. That just made them fall anyways and Annalise reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Why the tears?”

“This was supposed to be this perfect date that swept you off your feet and... I’m playing myself. I can’t even get a date right. The only thing I can do right is be a lawyer.” Tegan laughed bitterly, wiping the tears angrily from her cheeks. _Way to act like a little girl trying to date your student teacher, Price._

“This date is perfect, Tegan. I’ve never laughed harder and not at you.” Annalise smiled warmly and reached up to wipe the tears from Tegan’s cheeks as she smiled back at her. Annalise felt her heart speed up and drop to her stomach at the same time. 

“It’s like every time we try to plan something it falls through. Maybe it’s a sign that we should stop planning and let the night come naturally.” Annalise reached over the center counsel and pressed a chaste kiss to Tegan’s lips. Tegan smiled softly at the woman in her passenger seat and reached over briefly to squeeze her knee and started the car and pulled out the restaurant. 

~~~~

They ended up ordering a pizza and getting a bottle of wine and pulling into a drive in movie. It was some old Black Art House cinema film festival and the two women couldn’t tell you what the name of the movie was because by the time they finished their pizza and bottle of wine they had made it into the backseat of Tegan’s car, kissing passionately and sloppily like a couple of teenagers. 

The backseat windows fogged over almost immediately as the two women kissed all tongue and teeth and hands everywhere. Tegan is straddling Annalise’s lap and has her fingers entangled in the hair at Annalise’s neck as the taller woman gripped her hips closer to hers, her fingers gently caressing up the sides of the blouse Tegan was wearing. Tegan sighed into the kiss when Annalise bit her bottom lip gently and her hand reached further up the Latina’s shirt caressing under her bra and Tegan’s back arched at the contact. The fire it ignited spurred Tegan into overdrive, pressing wet bruising kisses along the woman’s neck. 

The sound of cars and lights passing over the backseat signaled the end of the movie and the women separated with Tegan carefully climbing off Annalise’s lap and fixing her shirt and hair; glad she wore a kiss proof lipstick. The two women looked at each other and burst out into another fit of laughter.

“Maybe we should get going.” Tegan laughed before crawling back into the driver’s seat and yelped when Annalise placed a playful slap to her ass. 

“It was in my face. I couldn’t resist.” Annalise threw her hands up in surrender when Tegan shot her a look from over her shoulder before she climbed over from the backseat herself. 

“Mhmm, couldn’t resist.” Tegan kissed her teeth before she started her car. The older woman gripped Tegan’s hand tightly to get her attention, looking into her eyes fondly. 

“I’m really having a great time tonight. No bullshit.” Annalise smiles before Tegan starts chuckling herself. 

“Alright, come on. I know this bar across town we can go for drinks.”

~~~

Needless to say the bar was a gay bar that was a bar on the first floor and a dance club upstairs. Typical Tegan, she loved to dance. It’s a fact about her she found out rather quickly, always catching her dancing randomly when they were together. Annalise couldn’t help but figure she did the same when she was by herself. 

It was a Thursday night, which was great because most people aren’t really out on this side of town at this time of night on a Thursday so they were able to grab some more drinks and a few shots quickly. 

It only took until Annalise had finished her last shot before Tegan was able to lure her upstairs to the dance floor. “Get outta your head and into your body…” Is what the Latina told her and before either of them knew it they were off in a dark corner of the dance floor. 

Even in Tegan’s heels she was still shorter than Annalise in hers but that made no difference as the two women moved together on the dance floor. Both of them bearing grins a mile wide as they let the music take them and lose themselves in the other. Things got heated quickly, grinds and brushes getting more bold and deliberate and Annalise surprised herself when she pushed Tegan into the dark corner and pulled her into a heated kiss. Her hands immediately went gripping her hips tightly as she pushed them into the wall behind the smaller woman. 

“Take. Me. Home.” she breathed against Tegan’s mouth and stupid, was the _one_ thing Tegan Price prided herself on _not_ being. So she pressed another kiss to the taller woman’s lips and gripped her hand, intertwining their fingers pulling her out the club without any more words spoken. 

~~~

They get back to Annalise’s in record time and by the time Tegan can get in the door, Annalise is pushing her up against the door and locking it as she presses kisses to Tegan’s neck. Their hands are everywhere, switching between tortuous gripping and stripping each other of their clothes before the other is standing in front of the other in just their underwear. 

They each take a minute to look the other over and suck in a breath. Annalise glances over Tegan’s frame and is shocked by what the woman is hiding underneath her sharp business clothes. She tries to commit every single inch to her memory. Her frame is slim but curvy with hips that flare out into the roundest ass Annalise has ever seen and she’s too turned on to care about how wet she is.

Tegan bit her lip in sheer reaction of Annalise’s eyes scanning over as if trying to memorise every inch of her and she can’t help but do the same. Annalise’s dark eyes bore into her and she feels her everywhere without her even being touched. Her smooth dark skin has almost a marble like quality to it, hints of gold and warm undertones and breasts that made the smaller woman’s mouth water with the thought of having them in her mouth. Her arms, toned and strong with hands that made Tegan’s insides clench mercilessly. Annalise was even more beautiful without clothes as she was in them and she secretly pinched herself to make sure this wasn’t another one of her wet dreams and was actually real life. 

She was shaken out of her thoughts when she felt Annalise touch her face gently. “Are you sure you’re ok with this?” The taller woman asked gently, slightly worried that she may have been moving a bit too fast then Tegan was ready for. 

“No. No. I want this.” Tegan urged gently before wrapping her arms around Annalise’s neck, reaching up on her tiptoes and kissing her passionately. Annalise took this as her queue to direct them to her bed and they fell on top of each other when Tegan’s knees hit the mattress. They only separated then and broke out into laughter. 

That only lasted briefly when Tegan reached in again and kissed Annalise deeply, causing the woman to groan into the kiss. She used her left hand to unlatch her bra with little to no effort and the taller woman shivered when the cool air of the room hit her bare nipples. Tegan kissed her again before pressing her gently into the mattress settling between the woman’s legs, making her way down her neck and latching onto the spot on her neck that sent wetness straight to her core. 

Wasting no time at all, Tegan was at her breasts, enveloping a nipple in her mouth at having been looking and fantasizing about them being in her mouth all night and the little gasp Annalise let out sent her into overtime. She started making work by getting Annalise out of her underwear when before she realised that her own bra fell down her shoulders.

“Thought you were the only one who could do that?” The taller woman smirked when Tegan looked down at her in surprise for a moment and she reached up to kiss her passionately again. 

“Shut up and let me make you come.” Tegan freed herself of her bra and continued her ministrations, kneading and laving Annalise’s breasts in her mouth while reaching down between her lover's legs and meeting soft, wet flesh in its wake. 

Annalise gasped when she felt Tegan’s finger gently exploring her folds and her eyes fluttered back in her head. How many times has she imagined this _exact_ moment? Her lying bare completely at Tegan’s mercy, those dark almond shaped eyes staring back at her? It felt better than she could imagine and her back arched when Tegan applied a bit more pressure as she watched Annalise’s reactions for what to do next. Her moaning intensified and got louder when Tegan stopped suddenly and Annalise’s eyes shot open. 

Confused she looked on before Tegan placed the same fingers that were exploring her folds in her mouth and groaned at the taste, her eyes fluttering back at the taste. Wordlessly, the Latina pressed wet kisses further south before reaching her destination. They locked eyes briefly before Tegan lifted Annalise’s leg over her shoulder and finally swiped her tongue across her folds, the taste of her lover coating her tongue like honey and she dived in deeper. The older woman made a mess of the sheets and covered Tegan’s mouth and chin in her essence. Not that Tegan had any complaints at the moment, Annalise tasted _divine_ and Tegan made sure to ruin the woman for anyone else as she continued her tortuous exploration of her folds. 

Annalise reached around for something, anything to keep her tethered to earth and groaned deep from her gut when she felt Tegan’s tongue enter her unexpectedly. She gripped the sheets tightly, feeling that pressure building slowly in her gut and she gasped Tegan’s name when she felt the woman stretch her with two fingers, replacing her tongue. Feeling fresh wetness coating her thighs and the smaller woman’s fingers as she continues her assault to her clit, lightly suckling at it. “Tea…” Annalise gasps breathlessly, her moans in a louder pitch when she feels Tegan curl her fingers in that spot that sent her eyes fluttering. “Right there.”

“Here, baby?” Tegan separated her mouth from Annalise for a moment to look up at the taller woman innocently before continuing her attack, feeling her walls start to tighten around her fingers. She doubles her efforts gradually and it's only a matter of a few firm but gentle well timed thrusts that sends Annalise free falling over the edge, gasping and uttering curses as Tegan slowly brings her back to earth. The evidence of her passion across Tegan’s face, neck and chest all the way down to her arm and the sheets. 

Annalise is reeling for a number of reasons. She didn’t know she could do _that_ . Nor has she _ever_ in her life come that fast before, let alone that hard. 

_Who was this woman and where has she been?_

Her legs feel like jelly and Tegan just wipes her face on her dry arm and sticks her wet ones in her mouth for a moment again and just smiles with her eyes closed before opening them. She’s looking back at Annalise with these warm eyes and she’s still smiling. And _fuck_ , Annalise is in deep and she knows it. But at this point she’s too far gone to even care and Tegan is _so_ goddamn beautiful inside and out and after that display it’s everything in her to think about anything other than making the woman in front of her come apart at the work she’s about to put in. 

So, Annalise leans in and kisses and kisses her deeply and Tegan immediately relents when her tongue grazes across her bottom lip asking for access. She can still taste herself on Tegan’s tongue and it kicks her into hyperdrive, flipping over the smaller woman with little to no effort. She takes her time caressing each of Tegan’s thighs gently and squeezing close enough to the inside of her thigh when she feels slickness and her eyes flutter. Settling between the smaller woman’s thighs, her senses are enveloped in _everything_ Tegan. The smell of her perfume now mixed with the smell of her arousal and she can’t help but take a moment to observe the woman below her. Her chest heaving with each breath she took and there’s a soft sheen of sweat that covers her stomach down to her hips that are scarcely covered by a red lace thong, the place between her thighs completely soaked through. 

This time it’s Tegan who leans up and kisses her, wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling her in closer while deepening their kiss. She hears Tegan chuckle when Annalise pushes her back into her bed after a moment and she kisses her again to shut her up before making her way down to her neck, not caring about the dark marks she’s leaving in the wake of her travels. And by the way Tegan’s mewling in her ear, her hips undulating beyond her control underneath her… she’s not really caring about them either. Making her way to her breasts she envelopes a nipple into her mouth when she hears Tegan curse in Spanish above her and she doubles her efforts, feeling the slickness of the woman underneath her smearing across her stomach from her place between her legs. Taking her time with each breast she makes her way further and feels that Tegan’s breathing has turned from little gasps into tiny sharp breaths the closer she feels Annalise get to the place she most needs her at this moment. 

“Fuck me…” The Latina groans she feels Annalise pull her thong to the side and finally delve in to taste her. Her taste is sweet and sultry at the same time and the taller woman wastes no time peeling the thong from Tegan’s hips, flinging the sopping wet material somewhere in the room hearing it land with a soft wet plop. Annalise takes a moment before diving back in, spreading Tegan open gently as she explored, teasing and taking her time much like Tegan had with her. Making tortuously slow but firm circles around her clit for a while before taking it into her mouth suckling it gently. Tegan’s hands are gripping at her shoulders and Annalise can feel the woman’s short nails digging into her shoulders, only spurring her on further and Tegan sucks in a sharp breath when she feels Annalise stretch her with a finger unexpectedly. The taller woman gently uses her free hand to stroke Tegan’s hip causing the woman to unclench enough to ease another finger in. The Latina’s exuberant wetness made the movement slick and Tegan’s eyes fluttered shut when she felt those hands she'd fantasized so many nights before this, grazing that spot that made her eyes cross. 

“Gladly.” Annalise smiles smugly before gradually increasing her speed, curling her fingers and suckling at Tegan’s clit causing the woman underneath her to arch her back and groan as she felt that delicious coiling in her stomach build until she couldn’t hold it any longer and she went rigid. Her face and chest flushing red as her walls clenched and unclenched mercilessly, her orgasm washing over her in wave after wave until she couldn’t feel anything except Annalise pressing kisses to her hip and inner thighs easing her back down. Her eyes fluttered lazily and then Annalise came into her vision above her, smiling down at her and placing kisses across her face before placing a final one to her lips. They kissed gently and sweetly like that for a moment, their bodies pressed hotly together only separated by a sheen of sweat mixed with each other. 

It was the best _worst_ date Tegan had ever been on. Annalise would agree.

~~~~~~

Annalise, surprisingly enough, made it official in so many words around three weeks before finals. 

They were studying. 

Well, Annalise was studying and Tegan on the other hand was preoccupied with alternating between casually flipping through class notes and presentation slides and pressing kisses to the side of Annalise’s neck. It was a normal Saturday for them, normal meaning that they were naked in and in bed, Annalise’s bed was scattered with strewn about notebooks and their laptops. Annalise was sitting between Tegan’s legs with her laptop on her lap, increasingly becoming more distracted as Tegan’s kisses progressively got lower to the place between her neck and her shoulder and she shuttered. “Tea, quit.” She nudged the smaller girl and chuckled softly when she groaned. 

“I love it when you call me Tea.” Tegan grinned wickedly as she reached up to start massaging the taller woman’s shoulders and pressing wet kisses to the side of her neck. She smiled when she heard the groan she was searching for and Annalise let her laptop slip off her lap, her legs parting on their own accord and Tegan wasted no time to reach down between them, instantly being met with wet swollen flesh. 

“Tea..” Annalise gasped as Tegan’s fingers expertly made circles around her clit, her wetness only making it easier and more intense and her eyes fluttered shut. Tegan had learned her way around her body so fast it was almost infuriating. Annalise was never an easy person to make cum, but Tegan had broken through that notion almost instantly. The woman found a way to make her cum in a matter of minutes with only her hands, it was enrapturing. _Tegan_ was enrapturing. “I’m gonna-”

“That’s it, honey. Cum for me.” Tegan’s warm low voice covered her like a blanket and shook as she felt her orgasm wash over her in waves, groaning out Tegan’s name like the most beautiful sonnet she’s ever heard. 

It took her a moment to recover with Tegan pressing kisses to the top of her head and gently stroking her arm easing her back to the planet and she felt oddly centered. She’s never been able to feel this level of intimacy with someone before. It was a terrifying feeling, but also freeing and exhilarating at the same time. The day she met Tegan she felt something pulling at her, no matter how hard she attempted to try to stay clear of the woman; she ended up right back in front of her. Their paths crossed and intertwined at a time when she swore off trying to find anyone, content with spending the rest of her life alone. But then Tegan literally strut her way into her life and sunk her heels in so deep it terrified Annalise to lose this, lose _her_. 

“Tegan, what are we doing?” Annalise sighed and felt Tegan shift behind her so she turned to look at her. 

“What do you mean?” Tegan looked confused. _Had she read more into this than what was there?_ The thought alone terrified her. 

“I mean like what are _we_ ?” Annalise emphasized her statement by pointing between the two of them. “Are we _fucking_ ? Are we _friends_ who fuck? Are we _more_ ?” She sighed in frustration, her intentions are not as clear as they were in her head. “The only reason I ask is because ‘Stine asked why she hasn’t heard much from me lately and I couldn’t _lie_ to her but I also couldn’t explain what we _were_.” She was rambling now, her thoughts all fumbling together like word vomit. 

Tegan blinked even more confused than she was prior. She normally had a hard time conveying her feelings verbally, but she thought she couldn’t have been more clear with her actions and intentions. “Do you _want_ us to be more?” She asked nervously, not really sure why she was so uneasy about the answer. 

Annalise smiled bashfully now. “I’d like that.” 

Tegan flashed that smile that stopped Annalise in her tracks every time she saw it and leaned in to press a deep kiss to her lips. Their tongues gently caressing when Tegan reached up with both hands and pulled Annalise in deeper to her before they separated. The Latina pressed another kiss to her lips again. “I’d like that too.” 

~~~

Tegan’s graduation was a small and intimate affair, which just happened to coincide with her 22nd Birthday. 

They held off on publicly declaring their relationship until after Tegan had finished her Law Degree. Annalise refused to have anyone question nepotism in regards to her passing Dr. Grant’s class and Tegan relented. Although both women didn’t put up much of a fight after that either, enjoying the small bubble of Annalise’s apartment together. Although Michelle had instantly sussed out that the woman had found a new girlfriend because she was spending less and less time at their shared dorm apartments and more and more time coming by to pack bags and leave again. Tegan remained mum about the situation whenever her roommate would ask. 

Tegan had her job at the DA’s office with the ADA secured after spending last summer making a hell of an impression interning with them and was able to work there until she took the bar in July when they would bring her in working directly with the ADA once she passed. Annalise was so proud to see her girlfriend in her Graduation Robes, knowing she worked her ass off to be standing where she is now and she couldn’t not press a kiss to those adorable freckles on the apples of her cheeks and another for that adorable smile that graced her face after the first kiss. 

Meeting Miguel Price for the first time before the ceremony was _almost_ like meeting her girlfriend in male form, just taller and they hit it off instantly. Their sense of humor was similar and the older brother enjoyed embarrassing his sister with tales of their childhood as they sat at an Italian restaurant across town after the festivities were over. 

The older Price twin sat back and observed his little sister and her new girlfriend and he couldn’t stop the grin that crossed his face. Tegan was _glowing_ and completely basking in the light that was Annalise. Her smile has yet to leave and Annalise reached across the table to grab Tegan’s hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of their intertwined knuckles. Smiling this radiant smile back at her that almost outshined the light that was beaming off his sister. He knew his sister was in _deep_ and he loved the look of love on her. She deserved this happiness more than anything else. And something told him by the look on Annalise’s face, that hurting his sister is the last thing she would ever want to do.

~~~~  
  


It was that following New Years when they first said “I love you.” 

They had decided against going anywhere for the night’s festivities. Annalise was wiped from the trip back from bringing Tegan to meet her Mother and Sister for Christmas in Memphis. And Tegan had, right before the holidays, finished up her first big case with the DA and wanted nothing more than to not have to deal with more people than she needed too. 

So, they decided to spend the night watching the ball drop and sipping champagne from red solo cups from the comfort of Annalise’s bed. 

It was about ten minutes to midnight and Tegan’s idea of orgasms as the clock struck midnight were long gone at this point. Annalise tended to be a bit more handsy after a few glasses and after spending most of the night buried between the others thighs, they were content laying next to each other under the covers all in their post coitus bliss. Tegan loved the way their bodies meshed together, like they were made to fit together like two puzzle pieces. The taller woman had her arm wrapped around Tegan’s waist as she snuggled closer into her as the little spoon, reaching up and grabbing the smaller woman’s hand and interlaced their fingers tightly. Tegan couldn’t fight the sigh of content that escaped her. 

“I could be like this forever, you know?” Annalise stated, cuddling closer into Tegan’s warmth. Their bare bodies pressed together so closely they could feel the others breath and heartbeat. Tegan notices they’re in sync. 

“Like what?” She questions, now idly playing with the fingers that were linked tightly with hers. 

“Here with you. Like this. I feel _safe_ with you, Tea.” She smiles lazily and presses a kiss to their linked fingers and Tegan turns in her arms to face her. When she reaches up to gently trace the length of Annalise’s face, the taller woman nuzzles her face into her lover's touch. Feeling that same sense of grounding she always felt around Tegan, although this time she wasn’t lost anymore on what this feeling was.

“Me too.” Tegan emphasized her statement by pressing a soft kiss to her girlfriend's lips and resting her forehead to hers and for a moment they sat there, exchanging breaths as the world passed by around them. Annalise had so quickly become her tether to life _and_ love, it threw her for a loop honestly. She heard stories from her Mami all her life up until her passing about how her Daddy had walked into her one day and taken her entire world by storm. She had prayed her entire life that she would come across a person that would be like that for her. And every single moment with Annalise felt more like that every day.

“I love you, Annalise.” She whispered and it seemed as if time stood still for a moment to them, although they were so wrapped in each other they barely heard the countdown to the New Year begin.

After a moment Annalise pressed another kiss to Tegan’s lips, this one deep and slow and left them both breathless by the time they separated. “I love you too.” 

Tegan couldn’t help but smile and looked at Annalise with the warmest eyes and the taller woman couldn’t help but just let it wash over her like warm water. “Good, cause it would really _suck_ for this to be one sided.” 

The clock struck midnight and instead of orgasms they brought in the New Year with laughter and new love and to be honest, it was better than the orgasms idea by a long shot.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all and stay tuned. I'm working on Part Two 💕 Thanks for the reviews and kudos if you leave em. 
> 
> Also, I realized that maybe the timeline is a bit confusing. So the stories previously of The Price’s as a family unit are set in a distant future, this installment is set in the “past” so that’s how Tegan is referencing GoT and stuff in this one. Hopefully that explains how Michaela is 16/17 in previous chapters instead of like 8 hahah 
> 
> *A/N: To the person in my comments stating that the story I spent countless nights writing from my own mind is plagiarized.... and I’m “everywhere”... come off GUEST and post that link you read it from. I’d LOVE to see where I got my own ideas from 🥰 *deleted*


	5. A Bunch of Firsts and Some In-Between Pt II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished the second part of this "Firsts" prompt. I love and appreciate all the reviews and kudos and encouragement to finish this story out. Maybe I'll come back to this AU in the future. If not I love and thank ya'll for bearing with me through this. I love the real people on this site that make writing worth it 💕
> 
> Warning: ⚠️ Smutttt... but ya'll should know this by now. 
> 
> Reviews and Kudos are always welcome...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Two specifically is dedicated to my Widdle Big Nugget 💜:
> 
> Who stayed up with me as I pulled my hair out putting this whole thing together, gave advise and sat through me bouncing ideas off you. You know who you are and you forever the realist.

**_PART TWO_ **

They were together almost a year and a half before their first _big_ fight. 

Annalise was in her final semester of Law School and Tegan’s boss had dropped a bomb. She was moving to Philadelphia to take over the role as ADA there and wanted to take Tegan along with her as her apprentice. Annalise was terrified, if she was being honest. She felt the panic rise in her chest when Tegan had mentioned being able to be closer to Miguel. She knew how difficult of a time Tegan was having with being across the country from her twin. This being the longest their entire lives being apart and Annalise was sure when you literally shared a _womb_ with someone being apart from them could be pretty hard, adding to the fact that he was literally the only family her girlfriend had left… yeah she understood it. Doesn’t mean she wasn’t still _hurt_ by the idea of Tegan moving across the country and the very _real_ possibility of losing the woman she loved forever. 

It was difficult enough when Annalise took on her spring internship and they barely saw each other between Tegan’s work schedule and Annalise’s school and internship. But they made it work and with Annalise still waiting to hear back from two law offices that she had a call back interview with, things were looking a bit up in the air for the future. And for someone who _only_ felt secure when there was a plan, Annalise was off her mark. 

“So what does this mean for us, Tea?” Annalise sat up and crossed her legs underneath her, her laptop sprawled across her lap as she held a container of chicken lo mein that she stopped eating once Tegan brought up the move. “And how long have you known about this? Did you say _yes_?” 

“I didn’t say anything yet.” Tegan stated calmly as her girlfriend shot question after question at her. “Francesca asked me about a month a ago, gave me some time to think about it but I have to give my decision by the end of the month.” Tegan played with her fingers, terrified to look at Annalise’s face. But if the sharp rear back the woman did when she heard a month ago made Tegan feel like she slapped her. And technically she kinda _did_ even if it wasn’t physically. This was a major move and decision and Tegan had been losing sleep over it for weeks. Unable to have to make the decision between her first _real_ love and her first love, her job. 

“You never answered what this meant for us, Tegan.” Annalise bit out angrily after a moment of silence, becoming increasingly angry with her usually verbose and opinionated girlfriend is now on mum. 

“What do you want me to say, Annalise?” Tegan sighed, knowing this conversation was going to cause a fight and for being someone so intelligent she feels pretty fucking stupid right now. Because she’s just now realizing that the fight she was trying to avoid was only surely going to come the longer she waited to say anything. “That I wanna lose you? Because it’s the last thing I want. I want to be _with_ you. I _love_ you.” 

“You sure have a _hell_ of a way of showing it.” The taller woman scoffed and this time Tegan raised her eyebrow in offence, kissing her teeth in disagreement. 

“That’s _really_ how you feel, Anna?” 

“What exactly do you expect me to think, Tegan? Please enlighten me. You hold on to something like moving across the _country_ for a month and just spring it on me with less than _three_ weeks with a decision to be made and I’m just supposed to- what!?” She throws her hands up in mock defense. “Just be alright with it?! Not even _talk_ about it? Were you ever going to tell me? Or would you just wait until you were getting on the flight to _end_ things? This is what we do with people we _love,_ now?”

“Who said _anything_ about _ending_ things?” Tegan now looked partially hurt and part angry now, her eyes flaring. “And you’re seriously questioning the way I feel about you?”

“Tegan, you’re talking about moving across the country and what miss my _graduation_ too? I _still_ haven’t heard you explain how else am I supposed to take this.” 

“I wouldn’t be moving until summer and there’s _nothing_ that could keep me from your graduation, Anna. You know that.” Tegan started sincerely and Annalise’s resolve softened momentarily before she got angry again, interjecting before Tegan could finish her statement. 

“Across the _country_ , Tegan. Did you forget the jobs I’m up for are _here_?!” Annalise had a hard enough time with the idea of leaving her Mother and baby sister back in Tennessee. Losing Tegan too was something she was not even remotely equipped to handle too.

“I’m trying to talk to you about this now, Annalise.” Tegan pleaded. “I know it’s not right to wait this long and I’m sorry. I just-” She sighed frustratedly, trying to find the words. “I knew this would cause a fight and I don’t want to lose _this_ but, I miss Miguel too. I didn’t know what to do or say so I didn’t say anything.” Tegan looked dejected trying to explain to her girlfriend but by the looks on her face, she was failing.

“Tegan…” Annalise scoffed. “ _More_ than three weeks notice would’ve been able to have a conversation. _Only_ three weeks means you’ve made up your mind and was too _immature_ to end things on your own.” 

Tegan’s head reared back in disbelief. “So _end_ things, that’s what you want? That’s what I’m hearing.” Tegan bit her lip to quell her tears and shook her head sadly in response. Her eyes stung and her vision blurred as she used the sleeve of the sweatshirt she was wearing to dry her tears, chuckling dryly at the irony that it was _Annalise’s_ sweatshirt she was wearing to do so with. 

“No! I _don’t_ ! But what else is there, Tegan? It was hard enough but _manageable_ with our schedules here together when we were just ten minutes from each other. At least we could sleep together for a few hours at night every now and then, if _nothing_ else.” Annalise argued back, frustrated at the predicament in the first place. “Us being on opposite sides of the country is going to be almost impossible.”

“So what you're telling me right now is that instead of trying to make it _work_ like _mature_ adults, you just want to give up on us all together?” Tegan’s voice cracked with emotion as she leaned back in her seat, she scoffed as she wiped her tears. “Now who’s the _child_ in this?” She spit out harshly.

“You know what? You’re right.” Annalise pushed her laptop off her lap angrily, Tegan hit a sore spot. A few if Annalise was being honest, but she’ll be damned if she admits it right now. “Maybe this _child_ should probably rethink this then.” 

Tegan reared back and pursed her lips angrily, nodding her head she stood up and started to pack up her things. “Maybe _you_ fucking _should_ .” She lashes out venomously. “When the _adult_ I’ve been fucking for almost the last two years comes back and wants to talk, let me know.” She grabbed her purse and keys and walked out the door, slamming it behind her as she left. Annalise picked up her notebook and threw it across the room, yelling in frustration. 

“Fuck this!” 

~~~

Tegan made it back to her apartment complex in record time, not really in the mood to come face to face with her roommate as soon as she walked in. Michelle Oh was a sweet, Biochem Engineer with a love for steampunk novels and EDM. Her and Tegan were polar opposites but had quite a few things in common and they got along famously, judging by the fact that they decided to move in together once they graduated and could no longer live in the dorms apartment complexes on campus. 

Michelle was in the living room watching some show on the TV while cradling a bowl of the pho she made and twirling noodles on her chopsticks when Tegan makes it in the door and closes it a little too forcefully. 

“Hey, Teegz. I made pho, it's on the stove if you’re hungry. What’s wrong?” She looked concerned when she took in the look of her roommate, her eyes red and puffy from crying and her face tear streaked and cheeks flushed red. 

Tegan had _finally_ divulged her relationship with Annalise to Michelle after they graduated. Michelle was confused for a moment as to why Tegan would move in with _her_ instead of her girlfriend and at this moment Tegan was glad she did the opposite of the stereotypical lesbian u-haul. Because she wasn’t too sure if she’d be able to sleep in the same bed with her girlfriend right now. _Were they even still together?_

“Me and Anna had a fight and I _really_ don’t wanna talk about it right now. I just want to take a bubble bath and drink some gin till my mind lulls me to sleep.” Tegan dropped her purse and laptop on the table and headed straight for their liquor cabinet, reaching for that familiar blue bottle and grabbing a glass. She filled the glass with ice and grabbed the bottle, dejectedly. “If you need me I’ll be in the bathroom.” She called out over her shoulder and made her way to her bedroom. 

~~~

It was almost two weeks of radio silence after that. 

Tegan was hurt, yes. Spent more time crying in the privacy of her own bedroom, clutching her gin bottle than anything else outside of work these days, to be completely honest. But her last words to Annalise was very clear, when she was ready to talk Tegan would listen. One thing she’s learned about her girlfriend over the years is that Annalise lashes out when she feels like she’s being attacked, once she was able to lick her wounds she could think clearly. 

Tegan had her own wounds to lick. 

She had considered the possibility of Annalise not wanting to attempt a long distance relationship, but maybe she foolishly led herself to believe that it could be possible. Being across the country _would_ be hard, Annalise had a point. They had faced _some_ difficulties when they could barely see each other. But _fuck_ , the idea that Annalise didn’t even seem to want to _try_ just gripped her chest like a vice grip. Not for them, or _her_. That’s what hurt the most.

She felt hot tears spring to her eyes as she logged out of her computer at her desk and grabbed a tissue, dabbing the tears from her eyes and beginning to pack up for the day. More than grateful it was Friday and she was able to spend her weekend in the bed when her boss walked up to her desk, clearly on her way out for the weekend as well. 

“Girl, it’s Friday! If you don’t get home and get to your fine ass girlfriend before someone snatches her up. Not gonna let you lose that one on my watch!” Francesca Deveaux stood in front of Tegan’s desk with her hand on her hip, sharply dressed in a plum dress suit and black pumps. She and her boss had developed a comradery that Tegan was really grateful for. The woman took her under her wing as an intern and was one of the main reasons she was able to start before she had even passed the bar exam. She laughed after she finished her statement, clearly not taking note of the fact that the picture of Tegan and said girlfriend was currently facing down on her desk. But her eyes did drop in concern when Tegan’s eyes dropped to her desk and she bit her lip, trying to keep the tears from resurfacing again. The woman sucked in a breath and pursed her lips sadly. 

“Trouble in paradise? I hit a sore spot. I’m sorry, girl.” The younger woman wiped her eyes and waved her boss off. “You ok?”

“Please, I’m fine.” Tegan lied and packed her stuff up. “Just a hump. Everyone goes through ‘em right?” She placed a forced smile on her face and Tegan was sure it looked as fake as the front she was putting on was. 

“Tegan.” The woman sat down on the chair in front of her and dropped her bags, crossing her legs as if settling in to have a talk and Tegan sighed in frustration also dropping her purse and keys, knowing she wasn’t getting out of this without one. “This have anything to do with the move to Philly?” 

“She’s not happy about the fact I waited so long to say anything.” Tegan starts sadly. “She thinks I want to end things but it’s really the opposite. I don’t want anything _without_ her.”

“You guys just needed some time to breath and think to be able to talk things out. But you do have a week to get me that decision. I’ll support whatever you choose completely.” Francesa got up and grabbed Tegan’s hand comfortingly before grabbing her purse. “Now I mean it. Go home and talk to Annalise. That’s a directive from your boss.” She smiled warmly before leaving Tegan’s desk area. Leaving her to shake her head at her boss and grab her purse again to head home for the weekend. 

~~~

She doesn’t even get home and get to get out of her car before her phone rings and it’s Annalise. 

It’s almost like her ears were ringing and Tegan feels stupid for being nervous for answering the phone. It’s silent for a minute and Tegan hears the sounds of a glass hitting a table before anyone says anything. “Annalise?” 

“Can we talk?” She blurts out and Tegan’s eyebrows shoot to the ceiling. 

“Uh- ok.” She stammers. “I’ll be there in twenty.” 

“I love you, Tea.” Annalise throws out, unsure of what else to do at the moment. She means it still, she only hopes Tegan still feels the same. 

“Love you too, Anna.” Tegan sighs. “I’ll see you in twenty.” She disconnects the call and her head drops back against the headrest. One part of her is ecstatic that Annalise finally called, the other half is irritated it took her two weeks to do so. So she goes upstairs to change out of her work clothes and wrap her hair before she heads back over to Annalise’s.

~~~

Annalise has been a mess to say the least for the most part. 

Finals and her upcoming graduation have been a nice distraction but when everything was said and done going to bed at night was still difficult. The switch was drastic and jarring, going from being with someone or at least talking to someone everyday to ceasing all communication. Annalise knew it was part her fault, she was hurt and she knew she didn’t really give Tegan the opportunity to share her grievances. Was Tegan _deadass_ wrong for not bringing this up sooner? One hundred percent. But was Annalise also _deadass_ wrong for not taking into consideration the dilemma Tegan was dealing with, as well? One hundred and fifty percent. 

So it was only fair that Annalise took what Tegan said to heart their last conversation. She had cried and drank and studied and worked and thought until she was ready to talk like adults. And just when she was ready to talk things through and possibly have to face some really difficult decisions, a couple days ago the perfect resolution fell into her lap like a sign from God himself or whoever was up there, Annalise thought. 

_**TWO DAYS AGO**_

Annalise sat in the office of Caplan & Gold, LLC’s Stanford office, wringing her hands nervously. She had got the call from Lucas Wade, the managing partner at the office who she had interviewed with just those few weeks prior yesterday once she got back from her last final for the day asking her to come in the next day. She crossed and uncrossed her legs nervously waiting for him to walk into his office, he was about fifteen minutes late and she was starting to get more nervous at the hold up. 

He walked in greeting Annalise with a large smile and a file in his hand, reaching across the desk to shake her hand and apologizing for keeping her waiting before he sat down. “So I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you back in here again so I won’t sit here and bullshit you any longer after being late in the first place.” She appreciated the guys upfrontness and nodded in understanding. 

He fixed his glasses on his face and opened the file he had in his hand on his desk in front of him. “So here’s the thing Annalise. We definitely all feel like you’re C&G material. Your references are excellent and your work speaks for itself. We really want you here. But there’s another part to this… there’s essentially the same position open at several C&G locations worldwide. So technically you have your pick of any if you decide to work with C&G, once you pass the bar, of course.” He smiled as he sat back and passed the file to Annalise for her to scan over. The benefits pay and starting salary were far outside of what she was expecting from the interview and she blinked a few times to keep herself from showing any outward emotion towards what she was being offered.

“So while I’d love for you to be a shark here under me in the Stanford office, I’d also understand and won’t hold it against you if you rather pick another location.” He laughed and Annalise couldn’t keep herself from perking up at that notion. “The open positions cities are listed on page three.”

Annalise quickly flipped to the third page of the documents she had in front of her and skimmed through the list of twelve cities in the world with her position open and there in clear letters spelled the resolution to _all_ her problems: Caplan & Gold, LLC, Philadelphia.

She smirked and nodded her head, understandingly. Not bringing any attention to how elated she was at this opportunity falling into her lap. Her top job choice _and_ her pick of where to go after graduation? She reached out and shook Lucas’s hand. “I’ll give you a call in a few days with my decision? There’s a couple other offers I would like to debate before I give any definite answer.” 

“Please, take the time you need and let us know.” Lucas stood up and walked Annalise out his office and to the elevators in the lobby. “Hopefully you make the decision to choose C&G, Annalise. You’d be a phenomenal addition to the ranks.” 

The elevator dinged and Annalise stepped in as the doors opened. “Thank you for your time, Lucas. I’ll let you know my decision soon.” Once the door closed, Annalise couldn’t help the sigh of relief and the small whoop she did to herself in celebration. _Now she confidently could call Tegan._

_**BACK TO PRESENT**_

Tegan used the key Annalise gave her to open the door and wasn’t really expecting to see Annalise sitting in the living room, pouring a glass of wine into the empty wine glass next to hers before refiling her own. She drops her purse on the kitchen counter and sits down in front of Annalise before reaching down and taking a long sip of wine, she nods her thanks putting the glass down and Annalise takes a breath before speaking. 

“I didn’t take in account how you felt about all this _or_ give you a chance to try and talk things out, for that I’m sorry.” Annalise finally stated, she looked Tegan in the eyes before continuing. “The thought of losing you was probably the closest thing I've felt to _real_ fear in a long time and I almost ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Anna..” Tegan started but Annalise grabbed both the smaller woman’s hands with her own. 

“No, Tea let me finish.” She interlaced their fingers. “I don’t want to lose this either. I love _you_ , time or space between us won’t ever change that.”

Tegan smiled tearfully and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her girlfriends lips. “I shouldn’t have waited so long to say something. That was selfish. Saying what I said didn’t help things either, I knew you were hurt but… I was terrified and hurt and didn’t know what else to do. I still don’t.” She stated sadly. 

“No, you don’t apologize.” Annalise used her hand to force Tegan to look her in the eyes again. “I’d never be able to live with myself if I kept you from your dream for the sake of me. You’d _never_ ask me to do the same.” She wiped the tears that had escaped Tegan’s cheek and the smaller woman pressed a kiss to the hand on her face. 

“I wouldn’t.” Tegan confirmed. 

“Which is why I have good news.” Annalise smiled brightly and pulled out the file Lucas handed her earlier from C&G, passing it to Tegan. The Latina looked up skeptically, her signature eyebrow raising to the ceiling before taking the paperwork and began reading it over. Annalise felt her anxiety raising as she waited for Tegan to flip to the third page to see what she had highlighted earlier. 

Tegan flipped to the third page and her eyes shot down to the highlighted section of the page before looking up to Annalise with wide eyes. “Wait...what?” She asked in awe.

“C&G offered me the job, Tea. Not only that but they have an opening at the Philly office. As long as I pass the bar, I have a job in Philadelphia too. I’m in this. I mean it. Things worked out, _better_ than expected, but we would’ve made it work even if it _hadn’t_.” She gripped Tegan’s hands tightly in hers. “I don’t want anyone else.” 

Tegan couldn’t keep the teary smile from gracing her face before she leaned in to press a kiss to her girlfriends lips. A starry look fell upon her face and she couldn’t help herself. “I hope you know I want to spend the _rest_ of my life with you.” She whispered with her eyes closed and rested her forehead against Annalise’s for a moment.

Annalise couldn’t not kiss her after that. Leaning into the smaller woman and pushing her back into the couch, deepening their kiss. Only hoping that Tegan could _feel_ that she wanted the same thing.

~~~~~

The two women had settled into life in their apartment in Philadelphia comfortably for the next year and a half. 

Annalise had taken the job with Caplan & Gold Philadelphia, graduated and with the ever persistent help of her girlfriend had passed the bar on her first try. The office was cut throat and she was the only woman in her position, which she _thrived_ on. She basically went into her job everyday holding rich white men’s nuts in vice grips and she loved every single bit of it. The added bonus was the fact she gets to fall asleep next to the love of her life every night. 

Tegan was probably the happiest she probably thought she ever could’ve been. She had her career. She had Annalise. She had her brother within twenty minutes of her. While things in her life started to mesh together, the urge to take the next step with Annalise was sitting heavy on her spirit. It’s not that her and Annalise haven’t had this conversation before, they have quite a few times actually. Talks about the future, where they see themselves. Both women were more than clear that their visions of their futures included the other. 

_*FLASHBACK*_

“You think I’d move back across the country and up the coast if I didn’t wanna marry you one day, crazy?” Annalise laughed, nudging Tegan’s shoulder as they sat together watching tv one night. 

“Annalise Price.” Tegan smiled proudly. “Has a nice ring to it, dontcha think?” Tegan smirked before Annalise pushed her again causing her to laugh and the taller woman to roll her eyes. 

“What makes you think I’d take your name? Who’s to say I wouldn’t make you take mine? Or if I’d hyphenate?” She asks playfully and this time Tegan rolls her eyes scoffing. 

“Please, Anna. You act like I don’t know you.” Annalise can’t help the laugh that escapes her. 

“Whatever. I’m gonna get you pregnant one day anyways.” Annalise joked and Tegan burst out into hysterical laughter, she wipes tears from her eyes after a moment as she tries to settle her breathing. 

“Who said I wouldn’t be the one to get _you_ pregnant?” Tegan could barely get it out between her trying to stifle the laughter that kept bubbling up. 

“Now why are you acting like I don’t _know_ you, Tea?” Annalise looked at Tegan pointedly and she could only shrug in agreement at her girlfriend's statement. “Exactly.” 

Annalise picked up the nearest pillow and threw it at her when Tegan started cracking up again. 

~~~

Those conversations about the future had all culminated into this moment here, with Tegan knocking on the door to Miss Ophelia’s and being greeted warmly by Celestine and a large hug. 

“Mama, it’s Tegan! She here!” Celestine helped Tegan with her suitcase as she welcomed her inside. Tegan had some meetings with some clients for a case in Memphis and Miss Ophelia was _not_ having Tegan staying in a hotel when she could just stay at the house. Tegan really couldn’t say no even if she wanted too.

She had a soft spot for Miss O, as she affectionately called her over the years. Although there was something kind of off about her being there without Annalise. But at the same time this family feels like home, Ophelia has always treated Tegan like family and Celestine has treated her like another sister. They were the same age and both shared a love of high fantasy novels and comic books. “How was your flight? You let my big headed sister know you got here safe?” 

“It was fine. I’m just glad to be off that plane, the guy behind me snored the entire flight that you could hear over the engine.” Tegan rolled her eyes and both women broke out into laughter. “And yes, I just got off the phone with her when I pulled up.” She smiled when Ophelia made her way from the kitchen and laughed with glee when she saw Tegan.

“Hey baby!” She pulled Tegan into a huge hug and shook her back and forth. “It’s so good to see you again,honey.” Tegan never realized until she met Miss O, how much she missed a Mother’s hug and having a Mother around, period. Ophelia separated from Tegan and patted her arms comfortingly. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes so you’re right on time. You call Anna Mae?” 

“It’s so good to see you too, Miss O. Thank you again for letting me stay. I really do appreciate it.” Ophelia waved the younger girl off. “And yes ma’am. I spoke to Anna right before I pulled up. She told me to tell you she’ll call you tomorrow.” 

Ophelia smiled warmly and walked back into the kitchen. “Well you know where everything is, I’ll holla when dinner is ready. Anna Mae’s room is all set up for you.” 

Tegan smiled and grabbed her bags and made her way to the back where Annalise’s room was. She was glad to be in a family environment again, it was something she really missed and always loved about coming to Memphis and visiting. She rolls her suitcase into the corner of the room and walks around looking at her girlfriend’s childhood bedroom. She loved looking at the pictures Annalise had framed and plastered to the mirror in the corner of the room. The tiny glimpses of little Anna Mae Harkness. Tegan takes in the posters of Black women revolutionaries, the bookshelf filled with books, newspaper clippings of her debate team and mock trial wins in high school. But what she loves the most are the pictures of her Anna when she was a little girl, all bright eyed and bushy tailed and sporting a huge smile. Most of them are her and Celestine and others with a few friends she remembers Annalise telling her about from her childhood. It’s an entirely different Anna than the one she knows, but still so similar that she can’t help but feel like she’s getting the best of both worlds. 

By the time their worlds collided, she had already changed her name to Annalise and got rid of the southern accent that her Mother and Sister still proudly sported. She sits on the bed for a moment before pulling out her phone and snapping a photo and sends it to Annalise. It’s a few minutes before she gets a reply from her girlfriend and she laughs out loud at the reply. 

**_Amor: So that was your plan all along, huh? Get in good with Mama so she can move you into my old bedroom? You’re lucky I love your ass._ **

She replies with a simple ‘I love you more.’ before putting her phone on the charger and gets distracted by her lock screen momentarily. It was a picture of her and Annalise at one of C&G’s corporate party functions a few weeks back, that they both _hate_ but made the most of by taking full advantage of the open bar and escaping to the bathroom in between bouts where no one was looking for them for a quickie...a few of them. But it was when Annalise had breathlessly stated while she was coming down from orgasm number four that she couldn’t _wait_ to be her wife one day, that she was reminded of her ulterior motive for her trip… Annalise never mentioned it to her directly but she knew how important to her it was to have her Mother and Sister a part of her wedding day. And she also knows that her girlfriend wants her Mother’s blessing more than anything. So, Tegan wanted to talk to them both about her wanting to take the next step with Annalise and ask her to marry her. She was as nervous about this as she was about actually asking Annalise, at least she kind of had an idea of what Annalise would say. 

Miss O and Celestine were a different ballgame. One of the things that made her a great lawyer was her ability to read people, she was what Annalise called a “human lie detector”. But for some reason she was clueless when it came to Ophelia and Celestine Harkness, maybe it was her proximity to them? She knew Miss O was at least _ok_ with her dating Annalise for the last three and a half years and she didn’t even blink when Annalise told her she was moving to Philadelphia with her. But how would she react to the news of Tegan wanting to _marry_ her daughter? Dating was temporary. Marriage usually meant _lifelong_ commitment. 

What about Celestine? Yeah, they joked and talked for hours about Storm vs. Thunder and House Targaryen vs. House Stark. But is she ok with her sister marrying a _woman_ ? Her sister starting a family with _me_? Is Miss O alright with the fact that her future grandchild would have two mothers? She swallows thickly and feels her palms starting to sweat when she hears Ophelia call them for dinner. 

Dinner is an interesting event.

The normally chatty Tegan was relatively quiet now, her conversation is surprisingly non animated. Stilted and distracted as she poked around her plate. There were a couple times throughout dinner when Celestine would have to call her name a few times to bring her back to the table conversation. Ophelia noticed something was clearly off. She looked distracted, Ophelia could practically see the wheels turning behind her eyes. When dinner was over Tegan offered to help Ophelia with the dishes and was promptly brushed off by the matriarch, stating she had it and should go get ready for the movie. Celestine had suggested a movie after dinner since Tegan didn’t have to meet with her client for work till later in the morning. 

She emerged from the bathroom freshly showered and ready for bed when she shot Annalise a quick goodnight text before heading to the living room. She was met with Ophelia sitting in the big chair in her nightgown and head scarf, watching the evening news when Tegan entered and she smiled softly. “Stine is getting ready for bed. She’ll start the movie when she gets back.” She looked over at Tegan and motioned for her to sit next to her, reaching out for her hand.

“Now you can tell me what’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours.” Tegan blinked in confusion when she took a seat and Ophelia chuckled softly.

“You an’ Anna Mae are just alike sometimes. I could see the wheels turnin’ behind ya’ eyes all night.” 

The Latina coughed nervously and her eyes grew wide at the observation before trying to play it off. “It’s nothing, Miss O. I just have a lot on my mind.” She brushed off, a tad bit embarrassed she’d been called out. 

Ophelia laughed this time. “I can tell. You ain't been talkin much all night an’ we normally can’t get ya’ to stop.” This time it was Tegan who chuckled. “I can tell you got somethin’ on your mind. You’ll feel better if you get it out so, you might as well.” Ophelia gripped Tegan’s hand comfortingly. 

The younger woman sighed and steeled her nerves. “Ok.” She expelled a nervous breath before she continued. “Miss O, I want to say thank you and not just for letting me stay at your home. But for loving me and accepting me as family. You didn’t have to be as open with me as you are but you always have been and I want you to know that I appreciate that.” Tegan smiled and Ophelia gripped her hand smiling back at her with this warm smile that always made Tegan feel like she was home. 

“I’m sure it’s no secret how I feel about Anna.” Ophelia nodded in agreement, that smile still hasn’t left her face and it gives Tegan the courage she needs to continue. “I love her, with everything that I have, everything I am. I would do anything for her, to make her happy.” 

Ophelia brightened instantly and leaned in closer to the younger woman, reaching out to grip Tegan’s other hand and holding them closer to her. “I know you love my Anna Mae ‘cause I see it. I feel it.” Ophelia started looking deep into Tegan’s eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her this free… happy. I’m glad she has you, baby.” 

Tegan’s eyes welled with tears and she nodded happily. “I do. She gives me strength in ways I never thought possible. I never thought that someone like Anna was out there for me. I’m glad I have _her_.”

“Anna Mae’s a tough cookie to crack. But that’s just cause she’s sensitive an’ scared of being hurt. I wasn’t there enough for her growing up and it’s something I will have to live with.” Ophelia sat back in her chair, her eyes looking forlorn for a moment. “But once you get to her center, she’s a big softy. You know that.” She smiled back at the Latina who was nodding tearily in agreement. “Even though she’d rather be shot dead on the spot than admit it. That child is so-”

“-damn stubborn.” They said together at the same time and they both laughed for a moment. Tegan smiled when Ophelia wiped her tears, before grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. 

“So I’m sayin’ you don’t have to explain to me how you feel about Anna Mae, Tegan. Your actions have always spoke louder than you ever have, even if that is kinda loud sometimes.” This time it’s Tegan who smiles and Ophelia laughs a warm laugh that gently shakes her shoulders and she’s stricken with the feeling of how this almost feels like being with her own Mami. 

“I just wanted you to know that I will love Anna until the last breath in my body and ever after.” Tegan took another breath and blew it out nervously. “That’s what’s been on my mind. I actually wanted to ask you… for your blessing. I want to spend the _rest_ of my life with her and I know she wants your blessing more than anything else, even if she hasn’t said it explicitly.” Tegan was rambling now and she took another breath to collect her thoughts. “So that’s part of why I’m here. I wanted your blessing to ask Annalise to marry me.” 

Ophelia sat back in her chair at the question. Her mind reeling and her chest so full she had a hard time pinpointing any one specific emotion. She would be the first to admit that she considered _this_ possibility happening when Anna Mae had come to her years ago explaining to her that she was also romantically interested in women, though at the time she wasn’t sure she would ever be ok with it. But Anna Mae was an adult and she had no say in what she did anymore. So she sat back and observed as she watched her eldest daughter find herself and then find her equal in Tegan. Someone who met Anna Mae at her level and was patient enough to _learn_ her daughter, inside and out. Ophelia found herself watching her daughter fall hopelessly in love and simultaneously growing into a woman she couldn't be prouder of. She knew Tegan was right for her daughter, she would be ignorant to ignore the light beaming from her. Tears welled in her eyes now and she reached out for Tegan’s hands, gripping them tightly. “Of course you have my blessing.” 

Tegan smiled, no longer able to hold her tears at bay when she leaned in and wrapped Ophelia in a tight hug. “Thank you Miss O. I promise I’ll spend every day of my life with Anna doing everything I can to be what she deserves.” 

“You already are, baby.” Ophelia reached up and gently caressed the side of Tegan’s tear streaked face. “And I think you can call me Mama now too, huh? Since you’re gonna officially be a member of the family now.” 

Tegan laughed through her tears. “Well she’s gotta say yes first.” She started before she heard a high pitched squeal coming from the hallway. 

“OH MY GOD!” Celestine ran into the living room and scooped Tegan up in a hug and swung her in a circle. “Of course Anna’s gonna say yes! Are you _kidding_ ?!” She had tears in her eyes. “I _finally_ got a cool sister!” 

~~~

Tegan was exhausted. 

Her client was a Grade A blowhard and the meeting that was supposed to be an hour extended to four. And while she _loved_ her job, she was more excited for her plans afterwards. After she got her blessings from Miss O and Celestine, she spoke to Celestine until the early hours in the morning and had asked her to accompany her to go ring shopping for Annalise before she had to go back home. 

Which is where they were now. 

This was the fourth jewelry store they had been in and they were both increasingly getting frustrated with not finding anything that screamed _Annalise._ Neither woman expected this to be as difficult as it was. They weren’t ignorant enough to think they would find something in the first store they looked in but their expectations of finding something were dwindling with each store they walked out of not anywhere closer to even having an idea of what they could see on Annalise’s finger. 

The store was smaller and a bit more intimate then the previous stores they had been in. The clerk allowed them to walk around a bit before asking if they needed any help. Allowing the women to talk amongst themselves as they looked in the display cases. He finally approached them when he heard Tegan’s sigh of frustration after searching in a few cases. 

“Hey Ladies. Welcome to Oliver’s, I’m Zahir. What brings ya’ll in today?” The young man introduces himself as he walks over to the case Tegan and Celestine are currently looking in. 

“ _She’s_ looking for an engagement ring for my sister. I’m just here to help.” Celestine gushed clearly still over the moon about her sister’s upcoming engagement and Tegan just rolled her eyes playfully at her. 

The store clerk clapped his hands excitedly and his smile instantly turned bright. “Congratulations, oh my goodness. This is so exciting. I love these types of visits.” He rambled. “Ok so I need a few details. What’s her name? How long have you been together? What she looks like and a few details about her.” He lists off. “Engagements are my speciality.” He grins and Tegan raises her eyebrows as Celestine eats it up. She nudges her to answer his questions before going off to look into more cases, leaving Tegan with the store clerk.

“Umm ok…” She leads off, clearly off put by the sudden questions but relents nonetheless. “Her name’s Annalise. It’s been three almost four years and she’s _beautiful_ , inside and out but also guarded and sensitive if that makes any sense.” Now it’s Tegan’s turn to gush as she turns her phone over to Zahir to show him Annalise’s picture. He takes a long look before tapping his finger to his chin for a moment. 

“I think I might have somethin, let me see if it’s still here.” He starts to look in the online catalogue on the computer behind the desk. 

“Tea, look at this one!” Celestine exclaims excitedly, waving Tegan over to the corner of the store she had wandered off too. Tegan walked over to Celestine and looked at the woman rolling her eyes playfully before the other woman started pointing to the ring in the display case. 

When Tegan locked eyes on it, she felt all the air leave her lungs at once. It was _perfect_. The two glimmering bands were covered in stones and crossed over each other leading up to the round diamond that was a carat in a half and set in white gold. The matching wedding band sat underneath it on the ring display, setting off tiny prisms of rainbows in the case when the light reflected it a certain way. “Can we see this one?” Tegan asked looking back over her shoulder at Zahir who started to make his way over to the women at the case. 

Zahir laughed when he walked over to the display case. “Surprisingly enough this was the ring I was looking for, if you believe it or not.” He leaned down to open the case and handed the ring over to Tegan. Once the ring was placed in her hand it felt like time had stopped momentarily. Her mind instantly raced to glimpses of her life with Annalise and this ring being a constant reminder of her love. Them growing old and raising a family together, this ring being passed down as heirlooms. She blinked the tears from her eyes and nodded happily. 

“This is _perfect_.” She exclaimed breathlessly. “I’ll take it.” 

~~~

The ring burns a hole in Tegan’s pocket until she _literally_ feels like she’ll be in physical pain if she doesn’t ask Annalise to marry her. 

They’re decorating their apartment for Christmas once they got home from Memphis for Thanksgiving, well Tegan is decorating. Annalise is making cookies and drinking spiked eggnog, while occasionally reaching up on the tree to hang things where the shorter woman couldn’t reach. Tegan has been thinking about how to propose for weeks. She knew she wanted something private and intimate, just for them. Annalise was never one for large public displays of affection and Tegan honestly, wasn’t either. 

Then, the other night she was literally woken from her sleep with the idea. 

Which brought her to tonight. She had convinced Annalise after a few orgasms to appease her and wear the matching Christmas pajama set she bought them and the older woman relented, claiming to only say yes because of Tegan’s _adorable_ pouting face. The Latina had learned from their first date that planning doesn’t really come to plan so she had decided to let it come as naturally to her as _loving_ Annalise came to her. 

A low droning of an R&B Christmas playlist played in the background and Tegan was brought out of her thoughts by Annalise calling her name.

“Earth to Tegan!” Annalise huffed out. “Is this straight or not?” Tegan laughed as she watched Annalise stretched to the top of the tree placing the Black Angel at the top of the tree. 

“Yes baby, it’s perfect thank you.” She walked over and placed a soft kiss to Annalise’s lips before reaching over and taking a sip from her girlfriend’s glass of eggnog.

“So you ready to light this thing?” Annalise asked before taking her glass back from a grinning Tegan and heading back into the kitchen to get Tegan her own glass. The younger woman took this opportunity to get everything into place. 

“Yeah, whenever you’re ready we can.” 

Annalise came back into the living room with her refilled glass of eggnog and another for Tegan and raised a glass. “To another Christmas together. I love you, Tea.” She clinked her glass to Tegan’s in cheers.

“And to many more. I love you too.” She smiled before they took a long sip and leaned in to sweetly share a kiss that tasted of nutmeg, vanilla and rum. 

“So let’s light the tree!” Annalise smiled and placed her glass down on the table. 

“For someone who hates decorating and stuff you sure seem to be really enjoying the final results.” She laughs as she places her own glass down and turns around to the plug behind the tree, getting ready to plug it in. “Go turn the lights off.” She commands. 

“Just because decorating is boring doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it once it’s done.” Annalise argues back and goes to turn the lights out. 

“Ready?” Tegan teases and cracks up when she hears Annalise huff again in annoyance. 

“Come on, Tegan.” The younger woman could practically hear her girlfriend’s eyes roll with her statement. So she relented, getting into position she finally plugged the lights in the tree and watched as Annalise’s eyes lit up and glimmered in the red, gold and white tree decorations and her stomach dropped nervously. 

Annalise’s eyes lit up at the lights. The beautiful reds and golds all gleaming together and flickering off each other casting a beautiful glow across the room. She smiles and begins to look across the room taking in the scenery before her eyes land on Tegan and her heart immediately catches in her throat. 

She’s in front of Annalise dropped to one knee with this bashful smile on her face, tears in her eyes and her hand is shaking and Annalise’s eyes instantly fill with tears when her eyes finally land on the small velvet box in her hand. It’s open, revealing a beautiful diamond ring and it’s _perfect_ , just like Tegan.

“Anna, you make me happier than anyone or anything ever could. I never thought I’d be happy. Like it was something for other people but just something that was never in the cards for me.” Her voice cracked and Annalise’s warm smile washed over her like a calming rain. “But then I met you… and I found that love while it wasn’t easy, for the right person was worth it. And you to me, are worth it. Worth _everything_. And I know I’m not perfect, but I promise to try everyday to be for you. So, Annalise Harkness… will you marry me?” 

Annalise couldn’t help the tears that escaped her eyes if she could. Dropping to her knees in front of the love of her life she reached up and grabbed hold of Tegan’s face with both hands before pressing a deep kiss to her lips. Their tears mixing in their kisses as Annalise nodded her head vigorously. “Of course I will.” 

Tegan slid the ring on her finger and Annalise kissed her again, deeper this time. It wasn’t long before the tree was wearing _their_ matching Christmas pajama sets. 

~~~

It was New Year’s Day when Tegan woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. 

She’s sore _all_ over and she can’t tell if she’s kinda hungover or still a little drunk. Her and Annalise had gone to the District Attorney’s Annual New Year’s Eve Party and in their usual fashion took advantage of the open bar. They made their way through the congratulations on their engagement and office schmoozing before she and her forever date made their way home to make love into early hours of the morning, falling asleep in each other's arms and leaving a trail of their clothes to their bed. 

She yawns and stretches, hearing her joints pop as she tries to rouse herself awake when her fiancé walks in their room dressed in a robe and carrying a tray of coffee, eggs and bacon. “Good morning beautiful.” Annalise smiles warmly and places the coffee tray on Tegan’s side of the bed before leaning in and attempting to press a kiss to Tegan’s lips. 

“Mmmm, baby. I didn’t brush my teeth yet.” She clutches the sheets to her bare chest as she attempts to sit up.

“Mmm, I don’t care.” Annalise grinned and pressed another deep kiss to her lips. Tegan hummed happily when they separated. 

“Thank you for breakfast.” The Latina smiled before reaching out for her cup of coffee when something glimmered on her hand in her peripheral and she pulled her hand back in shock. There sat a beautiful tear drop shaped diamond ring, the main stone shone brightly in the morning sun and her eyes widened in shock before looking over to Annalise. 

This time it was Tegan’s eyes to well up with tears. Annalise was smiling warmly and down on one knee besides her. It was simple but _so_ Annalise and she honestly wouldn’t have asked for anything different. “I thought about how I would ask you for a while. I’m not good with these big displays of affection… you know that.” Annalise started, the smile on Tegan’s face made her heart skip, like it always did.

“But I never thought love could be like this… _feel_ like this. Everyday I wake up and look at you next to me and wonder _how_ I got so lucky? And then I want to smack myself for trying to ignore this for so long. How I’ve never been happier. How safe and loved I feel when you look at me…” She grips Tegan’s hands tighter and grins when they lock eyes, Tegan tearfully laughs and she is _so_ perfect. Every single bit of her, her red flushed cheeks and those beautiful almond shaped eyes and that smile… she gets to look at that smile _everyday_ for the rest of her life. “You say you chose me, but you deserve to be chosen too. I want to make you happy like you make me for the rest of _your_ life. So, I’ve been working really hard on this so don’t laugh…” Annalise clears her throat playfully and Tegan’s laugh is like music to her. “¿Te casarías conmigo?” 

Her pronunciation is a little off, but Tegan couldn’t stop her tears if she wanted to. Reaching up to wrap her arms around her future wife’s shoulders, completely ignoring the sheet that covered her and let it fall and pressed a long deep kiss to Annalise’s lips. “I wouldn’t say yes to anyone else.” She pressed another kiss to her lips and squealed playfully, falling back into the bed causing Annalise to roll her eyes playfully and sitting next to her on the bed. 

Tegan’s holding her hand out playfully for a moment before a certain familiarity made her examine her ring closer and her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes shot to Annalise again and she wasn’t sure she had anymore tears to cry but here’s her fiancé, continuously surprising her. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get enough of calling Annalise her fiancé. “Anna…” She gasped breathlessly. “It looks like Mami’s…” Her voice cracked with emotion and she clutched her chest, stricken with the feeling it brought on. This was a touch she wasn’t expecting at all, she didn’t know it was possible to love someone more. More than her own life it felt like.

“Yeah, well I know you always loved your Mother’s ring. So I called Miguel, he gave me a picture and I had your’s fashioned similar to hers. I wish I had the diamond from hers but I know she was buried with it so I figured that something like it would mean the same.”

The younger woman is speechless, her eyes just blur with tears and she wraps her arms around Annalise’s neck again pressing her lips to her again and Annalise takes the queue to press the shorter woman back into the sheets when Tegan deepens the kiss and whispers against her lips. “It means more.” 

They spent New Years Day entangled in their bedsheets and each other, wearing nothing but their rings.

~~~

“You know, Anna. I was thinking. I kinda want to tell you my vows in private.” Tegan brought up one night over dinner, which consisted of chinese and case notes. “I don’t know. It’s weird. Like I feel like, my vows to you are just for _you_. Not everyone else.”

Annalise sat her food down on the table in front of them and looked at Tegan with wide eyes. Tegan’s heart sped up briefly, unable to read her fiance's reaction. “You have no idea how relieved that makes me!” Annalise let out a sigh of relief and laughed at Tegan’s puzzled reaction. 

“I feel the same. You know I don’t do well with the whole public display of affection. I don’t give a damn if people see me kiss you, but telling a whole crowd of people, most of them we barely know outside of work... the depths of my feelings for you? Yeah, I’ll write my own for you privately.” Annalise laughed and patted Tegan’s leg comfortingly before reaching down for her food again. 

Tegan released a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. “That just took about sixty pounds of pressure off my shoulders.” 

~~~

Tegan realised soon into wedding planning that much like when it came to decorating, Annalise was useless. 

She was grateful she had Celestine, who stepped up to the plate in the best way. Her future sister in law actually did enjoy planning and had more than enough patience to sit with her. She and Annalise had spent the better part of the last year engaged as they both had taken on relatively difficult cases right as the new year had started which had taken up most of their time up until May. By then Annalise’s, then Tegan and Miguel’s birthday had passed without much fanfare. So Tegan and Celestine have been working, now that things have died down, planning their wedding with full intentions of getting this done within the next month. They surprisingly enough already have set a date, June 19th. Which elated both Tegan and Annalise to have their wedding on Juneteenth. But Annalise was already irritating Tegan in her lack of interest in planning pretty much anything. 

“Babe, me and Stine literally have it down to two color palettes. Just tell me which one you like the best.” Tegan rolled her eyes, holding to color swatches in her hands. It was the last detail they needed, they had it narrowed down to two. 

“Tea, this is _your_ day. I do not care. Just tell me what time I have to be at the church and when. I already have my dress.” Annalise groaned and rolled her eyes when Tegan groaned in frustration herself. 

“Annaaaa…” The younger woman whined. “We decided against the church and decided on the ceremony and the reception happening at Gardens.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you just pick one? This is the _last_ thing.” She pouted and wrapped her arms around her fiancé, reaching up on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to her lips. 

“Fine.” Annalise relented and Tegan squealed in happiness. “I like the one with the burgundy, blush, navy blue and rose gold.” 

“See, now was that so hard?” The Latina grinned and pressed another kiss to her lips. 

“Yes. It was.” Annalise laughed and couldn’t resist the urge to kiss Tegan again when she laughed joyfully. “I don’t care what color or where or anything. I just want to marry you. That’s it. You and everything that comes with spending the rest of my life with you.”

Tegan’s grin probably could be bottled and sold as the elixir for everlasting life. 

~~~

_Seven Days Till_

“Tea, take a look at this one.” Annalise laughed out loud as she tossed the Gay Times section of the paper towards her fiancee as she sat at the kitchen table sipping her morning coffee.

Tegan rolled her eyes as she grabbed the empty coffee cup next to the maker and poured her own cup before grabbing the paper. She scoffed out loud reading the article’s title and laughed. “Dios Mio.” Before she reads out loud. 

**Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Celebrates Pride Month!**

_The District Attorney’s Office is a proud and loud supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community and their fight for equal rights. We want to celebrate this Pride Month with a special wish of love and a lifetime of happiness on the upcoming marriage of Assistant District Attorney, Tegan Price and her longtime girlfriend, Annalise Harkness of Caplan & Gold, LLC Philadelphia. The office sends the most love and congratulations to Tegan for all she’s done for the District of Philadelphia, her hometown and her future bride... _

“They can’t be serious.” Tegan cackled, not even able to finish reading aloud and Annalise couldn’t help but join in at her infectious laughter. 

“A congratulations article in _Gay Times_ Philly?” Annalise kisses her teeth with her statement. “They could’ve just sent a big edible arrangement like C&G did.” She finished her coffee and put her cup in the sink before grabbing her purse as Tegan’s cackle rang off the kitchen walls. She walked over to Tegan and placed a kiss on her lips. “I gotta head in early. Finish up the last few things on this case and I can finally be _all_ yours.” She smirked when Tegan slapped her ass playfully when she turned to leave. 

“You better be _all_ mine. That’s _my_ damn ring on your finger.” 

~~~~~

_Day of the Wedding_

“Anna, will you sit still?” Celestine humphs at her older sister irritably, holding a mascara brush in her hand. Annalise wouldn’t stop fidgeting nervously as her younger sister tried to put the finishing touches on her makeup. “Sit still!” She slaps her sister's hand and Annalise pinches her thigh through her burgundy Maid of Honor dress. 

“Ya’ll quit bickering for just two hours for me please?” Ophelia fusses and pops both her daughters. Taking the mascara tube from her youngest daughter she shoos her away and focuses her eyes softly on her oldest, biting back tears she smiled warmly. Her Anna Mae looked beautiful as a bride, her hair framed her face and her sleeveless white gown accented with a matching burgundy ribbon that surrounded her waist. 

“You look beautiful, Anna Mae.” Her voice thick with unshed tears and grips her daughter's hand tightly, shaking it gently before setting her attention to coating her other eye with the mascara in her hand. “No need to be nervous, Tegan will be at the end of that aisle.” 

“Not exactly what you imagined huh, Ma?” Annalise smiles softly staring at her mother with a tear filled gaze and they both break out into a soft laughter. 

“My daughter, happy and in love?” She answers confidently and wipes a stray tear from Annalise’s eye. “It’s exactly what I imagined.” 

~~~

Tegan was pacing furiously in the back room, it was only a matter of fifteen minutes till the start of the ceremony and her stomach knotted painfully. 

“Hermana...” Miguel is practically dizzy watching her pace back and forth and wring her hands together so much they were turning red. He reaches out to stop her pacing and forces her to look him in the eyes. “Relajarse.” (“Relax.”) 

Tegan closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, the feeling of her brother's hands in hers centering her in a way she didn’t know she needed. Nodding her head after a moment she smiles as she looks into his eyes. “Thank you.” 

“My pleasure.” He smiles warmly at her before holding her shoulders upright to look at him. Her hair delicately braided into an updo that was laced with rose gold colored string and her shoulders enveloped in full length lace sleeves. Her dress trailing behind her that was dip dyed at the bottom, navy blue to match her older Brother’s tux. “You not getting cold feet are you?” His eyebrow arches towards her and she lets out a laugh that helps ease the turning in her stomach.

“Never. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with Anna.” She breathes out but her eyes turn to Miguel’s wide with panic. “What if she doesn’t want to spend her life with me?”

“She already said yes and she’s just down the hall, Tegan. I don’t think she’s turning back now-”

“You don’t know that.” Tegan groans and she feels herself being pulled into a hug, wrapping her arms around her Brother and sighing deeply. 

“Annalise loves you. She’s gonna meet you down that aisle ok?” Miguel states confidently and smiles when he sees Tegan wipe a tear from her eye. 

“No sé lo que haría sin ti.” (“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”) Tegan sighs and she reaches up to press a kiss to his cheek. 

“Vive, chica.” (Live, girl.”) She rolls her eyes and Miguel looks down at his watch. “Ya es hora, ¿estás listo?” (“It’s time, you ready?”) He reaches out and waits for her to link her arm through his. 

“I’m ready.” 

~~~~ 

The field is filled with the beginning of notes of an instrumental of ‘Ribbon in the Sky’ and the crowd of patrons raise to their feet when Annalise begins to make her way down the aisle. Tegan’s breath hitched and her eyes stung with hot tears when she finally laid eyes on the women who said yes to spending the rest of her life with her. 

Annalise looks angelic as she slowly makes her way to her and stops with a shy smile right in front of her. Ophelia beaming brightly as she presses a kiss to Tegan’s cheek before handing Annalise’s hand to her and pressing a final kiss to her daughter’s cheek. 

The music comes to an end and the ceremony is brief but romantic. By the end of the crowd is full of wet eyes and the loud whooping when the officiate announces them as Mrs. and Mrs. Price deafens them. Annalise can barely make out the room around them when Tegan pulls her into a deep kiss and she wraps her arms around her tightly. She was officially Mrs. Annalise Price. 

~~~~~~

The beginning notes of Kenny Latimore’s ‘For You’ fills the small dance floor and Annalise takes Tegan’s hand and pulls her closer to her, making the smaller woman laugh as she wrapped her arms around her neck. The two instantly fell into sync as they swayed together. The room fell quiet as they watched the two in the middle of the dance floor. 

_For you, I'd give a lifetime of stability_

_Anything you want of me_

_Nothing is impossible_

_For you, there are no words or ways to show my love_

_Or all the thoughts I'm thinking of_

_'Cause this life is no good alone_

_Since we've become one, I made a change_

_Everything I do now makes sense_

_All roads end_

_All I do is for you_

The song was the one thing Annalise picked ironically enough. She mentioned one night how the song always reminded her of her at the time, girlfriend. Tegan had imagined it, at the time, when she said it. Them swaying slowly together with all their family and friends around them, dressed in white. It seemed like a pipe dream at the time. But she’s never been more elated to have been proven wrong. Annalise was everything she ever wanted and more of everything she didn’t even realize she needed until she came into her life. 

_For you, I share the cup of love that overflows_

_And anyone who knows us knows_

_I would change all thoughts I have_

_For you, there is no low or high or in between_

_Of my heart that you haven't seen_

_'Cause I share all I have and am_

_Nothing I've said is hard to understand_

_All I feel I feel deeper still_

_And always will_

_All this love is for you_

Annalise had to fight the urge to pinch herself. She felt like she was in some type of dream, terrified to wake up. Here she was, wrapped in the arms of the one person she loved the most, at their wedding. She was _Mrs_ . Annalise _Price_ now. It felt surreal. This moment…. This love she felt… Tegan. The song hit differently this time. It had always reminded her of Tegan, of the love she felt for her. But if there was something she’s learned in these years with Tegan is that anything is possible and with her by her side she could take on anything. No matter how rough it got. Tegan was her equal, that rare person that could finish your sentences and just look at you and know exactly what she was feeling. And over time Annalise found that she could read Tegan just as easily. Now she got to spend the rest of her life with this feeling she was feeling right now. 

_For you, I make a promise of fidelity_

_Now and for eternity_

_No one could replace this love_

_For you, I take your hand and heart and everything_

_And add to them a wedding ring_

_'Cause this life is no good alone_

_Since we've become one you're all I know_

_If this feeling should leave I'd die_

_And here's why all I am is for you_

_Everything I do now makes sense_

_All roads end_

_All I do is for you_

_Only for you_

Tegan placed her head on Annalise’s shoulder and the taller woman brought her closer as she tried to hide her tears in her wife’s shoulder, but singing the last verse word for word. Crooning softly in Annalise’s ear, low enough for only her to hear and Annalise gripped her tighter. Her own emotions started to break through the surface herself as she pressed a kiss to the smaller woman’s shoulder. The song ended and the two women still stood there wrapped in each when Annalise leaned in and pressed a deep kiss to her wife’s lips. 

“Here’s to forever.” Tegan grinned and Annalise thought she couldn't look anymore beautiful then she did right then. 

~~~~

_Bora, Bora_

_The Next Day_

The flight was long and they left first thing in the morning after the wedding. 

Not that they got much sleep, most of that was on the plane. Tegan, curled into Annalise’s lap and snoring softly before they were even in the air for an hour. Annalise snapped a photo, Tegan looked so content. Her mouth slightly open and her head propped up on her left hand. Her wedding rings flashing brilliantly in the soft light of the overhead. Making herself comfortable she grabbed their travel blankets and placed one over Tegan’s legs and wrapped the other around herself and dozed off to sleep herself. 

After they landed they met up with a town car driver that would take them to the resort. Annalise almost walked past him before she realized he was holding a sign with the name ‘PRICE’ in bold letters, still reeling with the fact that she was now officially a Price herself. The driver was kind and helped them with their bags as they snuggled in the backseat of the town car where Annalise falls asleep on Tegan’s shoulder and the Latina just adjusts her to lay across her lap, the backseat giving them a bit more room for the taller woman to stretch out. 

Their resort villa was beautiful. Crystal blue water and white sand beaches, each villa was located on it’s own small special beach off to the side away from the rest of the resort. Their patio overlooked the ocean with large doors that let in a cool breeze and the sounds of the waves. The bed was covered in roses that spelled out the two women’s names with a congratulatory bottle of champagne sitting in ice on the table at the foot of the bed. 

“Baby this is beautiful.” Tegan looked around the room and observed the large bathroom with the large walk in free fall shower and jacuzzi tub that sat outside the bathroom and closer to the patio doors. 

“I mean damn I looked it up online but I wasn’t expecting all this.” Annalise ran her hand along the large bed and took in the room around her before her eyes landed on her wife. She was grinning from ear to ear, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. She looked over at the bathtub and then grinned wickedly at her wife. “What do you say about room service and breaking in that bathtub?”

“I _love_ the way you think, Mrs. Price.” 

~~~

“You know, I was kinda relieved when you said you wanted to say our vows privately.” Annalise started. They were sitting on the balcony of their resort villa overlooking the night sky reflecting off the ocean. Tegan was perched across her lap, their dinner sat discarded next to them as they casually sipped champagne and dressed in their matching ‘Mrs & Mrs’ bath robes, a wedding gift from Celestine. The calming glow of the moonlight shone across the balcony and Tegan’s laugh rang out beautifully among the waves crashing along the shore. 

“And even more relieved when you said no pressure as to when we said them. Nothing about us has ever been conventional. We just kind of... came together in this perfect storm of fate and Tea, you showed me what it was like to have someone truly _understand_ you and love you for it. I never thought that I was enough for anyone. I grappled with that for a while, the idea that I was never worth someone’s time to _learn_ me. What makes me tick. What makes me happy or sad or feel safe. But then here you are, in _everything_ that you are, and proved me wrong.” Tegan shifted in her arms and looked up at her with those big beautiful eyes, glazed over and filled to the brim with tears that dripped down her cheeks. Annalise took the glass she was holding and put it down next to hers and interlocked their fingers. Her eyes taking in the rings now adorning both their hands now, a symbol of the life long vow they both fully intended to keep. 

“I was resistant at first, scared to let my guard down long enough to get hurt but you and your damn persistence… just barreled through that wall and loved me for _me_ , all of it. Even the ugly parts I try to hide from myself. You just _understood_ and never tried to force me to change, you just _adapted_ . I felt that, and that safety I feel with you, Tea? That is _everything_ to me. _You_ are everything to me. Things I never thought possible, feel possible with you. Love, marriage… a family, all these things I never saw for myself until I _saw_ you… and you saw _me_. So I promise to see you, like you see me. To give you the safety you give me to be myself and the love you need to feel like you can do anything. I am so proud to be yours, until forever.” 

By the time she’s finished they're both crying and Annalise feels like a sap but at the same time, she’s the happiest she’s ever been and couldn't care less how she looked right now. She’s on her honeymoon with the love of her life in her arms and they get to start their lives together as one officially from this day forward. Even if she was being honest, it’s felt like this for _much_ longer than just this day forward. They just have a slip of paper now that _officially_ changes her last name and she smiles, pressing a kiss to her wife’s lips and wipes the tears from Tegan’s cheeks.

“How do I even top that?” Tegan laughs out through her tears and wipes her eyes, sniffling when Annalise leans in and presses a kiss to her hair, still braided up from the wedding. 

“You said no pressure as to when, just whenever it came naturally.” She picked up her champagne glass after she wiped her own eyes. “For me, then couldn’t have been _more_ natural.” The smaller woman adjusts herself in her lap and wraps her arms around her neck and kisses her with everything she has in her and Annalise can _feel_ it. 

~~~~

Annalise realized quickly that about the only thing she loved as much as calling Tegan her wife... was her wife in her bikini. 

Their resort in Bora, Bora was beautiful, a secluded little villa with a large patio and crystal blue water for as far as the eye could see. They were sitting on the beach as Annalise sat under the large umbrella sipping a daiquiri and reading a book, watching as Tegan walked back from the ocean, her body still dripping with sea water. 

Tegan’s grin is a mile wide as she leans down to press a kiss to her wife’s lips before reaching out for the daiquiri sitting next to her spot on the beach, her wedding ring and now matching band, glimmered in the sun and Annalise couldn't help but smile over the rim of her glass as she appreciated the view. Tegan’s skin was at this point at least two shades darker because you couldn’t get her out of the water long enough and her tan was made even more pronounced by the Latina’s brightly patterned bikini that sat low on her hips and just barely covered all her ass. Annalise was amazed at her ability to keep her large sun hat on, even with the hardest of winds. 

“Baby the water is so cool. You _gotta_ come with me!” Tegan smiled as she plopped down next to Annalise on her beach chair and cracked up in laughter when she shook her long curly hair sending sea water all over the taller woman.

“Damn it, Tea!” Annalise laughed as she folded the corner of the page she was reading and put it down. “You’re dripping all over me, quit!” 

“You didn’t seem to have that problem last night.” Tegan sang as she took a long sip of her drink and Annalise rolled her eyes. “Now are you coming in the water with me or not?”

“Absolutely not. I’m not getting my hair wet.” Annalise rolled her eyes and placed her sunglasses back on the bridge of her nose when she heard her wife kiss her teeth.

“ _Please_ , Anna. You’ve been saying that for the last three days when I ask and you only get in the pool.” Tegan wines and playfully pouts and her wife can’t help but pull out her phone and take another photo, Tegan instantly cheeses. It’s becoming a favorite pastime of hers, capturing Tegan in these candid moments. The joy on her face was immeasurable and she shined, brighter than the sun. 

“Fine. Fine!” Annalise threw up her hands in defeat and chuckled lightly as she stood up and took off her coverup. “But if I drown it’s on _you_. I can’t swim.” 

“Aww, sugar.” Tegan coos as she leans in to place a kiss to her wife’s lips again. “I won’t let anything happen to you. We won’t go out far.” She smiled and reached out behind her for the taller woman’s hand. Annalise smiled and took in the view of her new wife and couldn’t help but take another picture. “Hold that.”

“Baaabbee come on.” The Latina cheesed posing over her shoulder as Annalise snapped another photo before following her into the water, reaching out with her left hand her own wedding ring and band flashing brilliantly in the sun. The warm water lapped at their feet but still was cool enough to bear the sun as they ventured deeper into the water, when the water was at Tegan’s waist and lapping at Annalise’s thighs they stopped and turned to each other. They're smiling at each other and Annalise figured she could stay just like this in this water with her wife forever. They're not deep enough for any panic, so the cool water and squishy sand between her toes grounds her. They never let go of each other's hands, their fingers interlocked. 

She couldn’t help herself from releasing her hand to reach up with both of hers to bring Tegan’s lips to hers, her skin warm and her lips have the faintest taste of sea water. It takes little to no effort at all to lift Tegan up and wrap her legs around her and the smaller woman yelps playfully before wrapping her arms around her neck. The taller woman smirks when she adjusts her grip, each hand full of Tegan’s full ass cheeks and she squeezed. The playful laugh that escaped her wife made her heart hammer in her chest. Tegan leans in and kisses her deeply again, this time humming when they separated. “I love you, Mrs. Price.” She grins and Annalise is sure her heart would burst if it felt anymore full than it did at this moment in time. She’s not sure she’d ever get tired of hearing that. She’s married now, and married to the most perfect human ever created. 

“I love you too, Mrs. Price.” 

~~~

“Ugh, oh my goddd…” Annalise groaned from deep in her gut, leaning in and kissing Tegan aggressively as her wife slowly guided her along the strapon she wore around her waist. This time it was Tegan with handfuls of her wife’s ass as the slow and deep strokes into the taller woman above her made her grip Tegan’s shoulders tightly, her nails digging into the Latina’s shoulders in the most delicious type of way. 

“That’s it, Angel.” Tegan cooed sinfully in her wife’s ear, she gripped Annalise’s ass tightly and licked along her neck before taking an earlobe in her ear suckling lightly. “ _Slow_ and _deep_ , just like I _know_ you like it.” The chair they were on creaked ever so often as the soft breeze of the sunrise over the ocean wafted across their villa, the deep colors of the sun reflected off of their sun kissed skin. The only sounds heard were groans and wet sounds of their love making. 

Every slow stroke made Annalise’s eyes flutter back in her head. The closeness between them heightened every nerve ending from head to toe and she greedily kissed her wife again. That all to familiar pressure coiling tight in her stomach and her movements became erratic and jerky, her toes curling and gripping Tegan’s shoulders tighter. Moments later stars burst behind her eyes as she cried out loudly, her orgasm racking through her forcefully. Tegan pressed kisses to her lips and face as she slowed her strokes, riding Annalise through wave after wave before she fell limp in her arms, Tegan still nestled inside of her. 

“Good morning, beautiful.” The Latina smiled and pressed another chaste kiss to her wife’s sweaty forehead.”

Annalise hummed, her eyes still glazed over from her orgasm. “Mornin’ baby.” She smiled lazily as she kissed her lips before she smirked, imitating Tegan’s signature raised eyebrow. “Shower?” 

~~~

_Later that night_

Annalise decided that she wanted to spend their last night drinking wine and sitting in their villa's large jacuzzi tub with the patio doors open, allowing the night breeze to flow in and fill the room with the crashing of the beach waves. They spent most of the day on the beach and in the water sipping mojitos and enjoying the last day of their honeymoon before they had to head back home to reality. The excitement of married life together filled the two women with hope and possibilities for the future. Tegan sighed in contentment, the warmth she felt filled her. 

“I never expected to meet someone like you. You know you said that I _saw_ you and _learned_ you and gave you the safety you needed to fall in love. I would argue you did that for me, Anna. I never expected to walk into my ethics course and meet the woman I’d one day call my wife. Hell, I never expected anyone to get _me_.” Tegan started. The warm bath water centered the two women in each other. The cool breeze pebbled their tanned skin in goosebumps. Annalise ran her fingers gently along Tegan’s shoulders. 

“I would never ask you to change, because you’ve never expected it of me. That was what I needed, someone who matched my ambition and drive and instead of being intimidated by it… _relished_ in it. _Loved_ me for it. _Pushed_ me towards it. You gave me the space to be who I was and my own sense of safety to be..happy, _truly_ happy. I never expected to have _you_ or any of this. You know Mami always used to tell me stories about how Daddy just accidentally ran into her one day and took her entire world by storm and she never looked back. All I ever wanted was to experience something like that, a love that withstood the test of time, one that knew no boundaries or barriers.” She interlaced their fingers and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. 

“I figured after a while that maybe it just wasn’t for me. But then here comes Hurricane Annalise... and I’ve never been more willing to be washed away with it. I get what she was talking about now. We may fight and disagree like everyone else but I’ve never felt more at _home_ , more _loved_ than I do with you, Anna. I doubt _anyone_ has a person that makes them feel the way you make me. You saw me, gave me the confidence and the push I needed to be the best version of me I could be. But this version of Tegan couldn’t be the best version of her without _you_ next to me, Anna.” Her voice cracked with emotion and Annalise pressed another soft kiss to her hair, her curly hair now smelled like shea butter and coconut. 

“Because you are that lifeline to the best parts of me. So I promise to always give you the space, you give me to be the best version of yourself. The love you need to grow and continue to be safe and the time and attention you have always deserved. I have been and will always be yours, Anna. Until, forever.” 

Their kiss moved mountains. And their honey moon couldn’t have ended with a more perfect moment. This moment between two souls, who meant the most with each other. Beginning their lives together, surrounded in love. 

~~~

_One Year Later_

Tegan grinned brightly as she walked with Miguel throughout the course of the empty home. 

They were touring the house Annalise knew Tegan had fallen in love with instantly as soon as they saw it. House hunting had been hell these last few months but this one had caught both their eyes, located in a prime spot between both their offices and in a secured neighborhood with an even better school district. It had checked every box on their must have list for their forever home and even more boxes of things they hadn’t expected. Like a large basement with a room large enough for a den and closet space large enough to fit their old apartment in. 

She grins when she hears her wife and her brother in law chat animatedly in Spanish together as they made their way from the kitchen and up the stairs. Deciding to sit back and take in the large living room as she fantasized about growing old with Tegan together in this home, surrounded by their family and full of love. The home was perfect in every way, and matched her wife in all ways of perfection. Getting caught up in her own thoughts she didn't’ hear Tegan and Miguel make their way down the steps and back into the living room. 

“Annalise this house is perfect! I love it. I hope you guys get it.” He gushes as he makes his way across the room towards her and Tegan follows behind him. 

“Me too.” Tegan smiles softly as she reaches for her wife’s arm and grips it tightly to her in excitement. “Did you put in our offer?” 

Annalise smiles cheekily when she digs in the back pocket of her jeans and pulls out what’s been weighing on her for the last three days. She can’t hide her grin when she hears Tegan’s scream in delight when she hands her the keys to their new home. Annalise has to brace herself when the shorter woman launches herself into her arms and begins to press excited teary kisses all over her face. 

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” Tegan repeats as Annalise laughs and puts her back on the ground.

“Alright, Tegan. I love you too. You’re welcome.” 

“So when do you move in?” Miguel asks, his smile beaming bright as his sisters and Tegan’s eyes shoot in her direction. 

“End of the month.” Tegan squeals again and wraps her arms around her wife’s waist, reaching up on her tiptoes to press a deep kiss to her lips. 

“We’re really gonna grow old in this house?” Tegan asks softly when she presses her face into her wife’s chest, Annalise couldn’t help but trace up and down her spine comfortingly with a smile. 

“It’s ours, Tea.” 

_Fin_. 

**Author's Note:**

> That felt good to get out. I might have some more possible ideas for drabbles and stuff in this A/U if anyone is interested. I also apologize to my native Spanish speakers, I was only able to do as good as Google Translate gave me so all mistakes are mine clearly lol. I appreciate ya'll for reading 💕


End file.
